


Red

by frosteddream



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Minor Character Death, Smut, wolfman Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-06 14:20:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8755921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frosteddream/pseuds/frosteddream
Summary: Shockwaves were sent through the village after the McPherson family was savagely killed. There were people who feared the beast that did it, and then there was Louis, or, as most people liked to call him, Red. (Little Red Riding Hood AU.)   Come say hi to me on Tumblr!





	1. Beware

**Author's Note:**

> I am honestly so excited about this. Please enjoy!

The murders of Ray McPherson and his entire family sent shockwaves throughout the entire village. Not because of the murders themselves, because the McPhersons weren’t the most well liked family, but because of the evidence that the murders were committed by an animal, a savage beast. The bodies were mangled in a way that could only be achieved by sharp claws and canines, and there were giant paw prints near the scene of the crime. A person’s death involving a wild animal wasn’t rare in the village, not by a long shot, but the size of those paw prints and the state of what was left of the McPhersons’ bodies, didn’t sit well with anyone. The very few who weren’t quite as disturbed as everyone else told tall tales or spread rumors.

“I heard those paw prints are the size of a wagon.”

“On the night of the murders, I heard a howl that made my entire cabin shake.”

“By the look of their bodies, old man McPherson and his folks didn’t stand a chance.”

If you weren’t quite as disturbed as everyone else but didn’t care for tall tales or rumors, then you were just like Louis Tomlinson, intrigued. Ever since Louis heard about the murders, he was constantly thinking about what the beast could be. He decided to do his own investigating by asking questions to the people who went to the McPherson house. The first person he went to was Doug Carlisle, the man who discovered the bodies.

“Afternoon, Red.” Doug greeted as soon as Louis walked into his general store. Everyone called Louis Red because of the red hooded cape he always wore. It was a tenth birthday gift from his grandmother that he had stuck with for eight years.

“Afternoon, Mr. Carlisle,” Louis replied. “How are the kids doing?”

Doug grinned at the mention of his children. “Grant just started walking a couple weeks ago, Frankie is the top of her class right now, very smart girl, and Annette is showing some interest in sewing, might get her a kit when Christmas comes around.”

Louis smiled. “That’s lovely, Mr. Carlisle.”

“So, what brings you here?” Doug asked.

Louis nervously bit his lip. “Well, um, I was wondering if you could give me a little info on… the paw prints.”

“Now, why would Red, notorious for his nosiness, wanna know anything about _that_?” Doug asked.

Louis blushed. “I’m just doing a little investigating.”

Doug didn’t want to encourage Louis, but he figured that there’d be no harm in giving him such innocuous information. “The paw prints had to belong to a wolf. An oversized wolf.”

Louis’ eyes widened. “Were they really that big?”

Doug nodded. “Whatever’s in those woods isn’t an ordinary animal, Red.” He leaned closer. “It’s best to go on with your usual business and not look any further into this.”

~

Naturally, Louis had no desire to go on with his usual business. A day after his talk with Doug, he went to his friend Niall’s house to ask his cousin Maddox, who worked as a police officer, if he was at the McPherson house. Maddox never wanted to indulge Louis when it came to his sleuthing, especially since it’s gotten Louis and Niall in trouble more times than he can count, but after enduring a few hours of Louis being as annoying as humanly possible, he finally gave in.

Maddox rubbed his temples. “Alright, what do you wanna know?”

Louis gave an expression that resembled a child who just received a sweet. “Did you go to the McPherson house?”

After a moment, Maddox gave a deep sigh. “Jesus, why do you _always_ stick your nose in places where it doesn't belong?”

Louis grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Red, why would you want to dig into something so awful?” Maddox asked.

“It’s not the murders themselves, it’s the beast.” Louis answered. “I want to find it.”

Maddox’s eyes widened. “Why? To kill it?”

“No,” Louis answered. “I just want to see it with my own eyes.”

Maddox was silent for a while, staring at Louis with an unreadable expression, before he shrugged. “Alright it’s your funeral."

“Mr. Carlisle said that those paw prints were huge and had to belong to a wolf. Can you confirm or deny that?”

“I can confirm that.”

“How big? Give me an approximate size.”

“Imagine four toddlers laying side by side.”

“Good _God_.”

“Do you still wanna hunt that thing down, Red?”

“Now more than ever.”

Louis left the Horan residence after he was done interrogating Maddox. He shivered and wrapped his hooded cape around the front of his body. The winters were brutal in the village. They came with harsh winds, freezing temperatures, and immense snow.

Louis was nearly home when he felt his arm being grabbed. He flinched, turned around, and rolled his eyes when he saw the smug face of Shane Buchannan. The Buchannans were a wealthy family that lived in a mansion on the affluent side of the village. Shane was the youngest child of the family and had his sights set on Louis.

Louis sighed. “What do you want, Shane?”

Shane grinned. “I just wanted to drop by and see you, little red.”

“Well, you saw me,” Louis said, slowly losing his patience. “You can go now.”

Shane chuckled as he yanked Louis closer. Their faces were now just an inch away from each other.

“I’m not leaving without my kiss.” Shane said.

Louis snorted. “I’ll bite your lip off, you fucking-”

Louis’ words were cut off when Shane slammed him into the wall of a nearby cabin. Louis grimaced at the pain that exploded in his back. Shane was staring at him with a humorous expression.

“Come on, my sweet, don’t be like that.” Shane said as he leaned closer to Louis’ face.

Before their lips could meet, Louis swiftly kneed Shane in the groin, causing him to fall to his knees with a low groan. Louis ran away, not stopping or looking back until he reached his family’s cabin. As soon as he was inside, he leaned back against the front door to catch his breath. He paused and sniffed the delicious scent that hung in the air.

“Louis, is that you?” Louis’ mother, Jay, called from the kitchen.

“Yes, ma’am.” Louis answered, putting his hooded cape on the coat hanger. He entered the kitchen and grinned when he saw a roast on the dining table.

“You’re just in time for dinner.” Jay said. “Can you set the table, please?”

After Louis set the table, Jay called Louis’ sisters into the kitchen. It wasn’t long before Charlotte and Felicite entered and sat down at the dining table.

“Everything looks delicious, mother.” Felicite praised.

“Much appreciated, darling.” Jay said, putting food on everyone’s plates. “Louis, you came home rather late. What was keeping you?”

“I went over to Niall’s house,” Louis answered. “And on my way home, Shane showed up.”

Jay’s entire face lit up. “Oh he is such a _lovely_ young man.”

Louis scoffed. “I beg to differ.”

“He is,” Jay insisted. “His family is wealthy, he’s charming, and he’s romantic! Lou, he leaves a rose for you on our porch every Saturday night, and he looks at you with such loving eyes. In my opinion, he’s husband material.”

Louis shook his head before he dug into his food. He didn’t even want to dignify that ‘husband’ remark with a response.

“Where’s father?” Lottie asked.

“Working.” Jay answered shortly.

Louis kept his eyes down, knowing well and good that the only thing his stepfather was working on was Ms. Hattie down the street.

~

Louis learned five things from his week of interviewing people who were at the crime scene.

**Number one: The wolf was brown.**

There were strands of brown fur all over the crime scene.

**Number two: There was no sign of forced entry.**

The McPhersons were killed inside the house. A wolf as big as that one was proven to be, would _never_ be able to fit through any entrances in the house. So, the question was: How on earth did the wolf enter and leave the house?

**Number three: Someone rummaged through Ray McPherson’s drawer**

When the police went up to Ray McPherson’s room, they saw some of his clothes, covered in blood, strewn about on the floor. The whole family was found dead in the living room and there was no sign of anyone getting dragged there from Ray's room, so when it came to the question of who rummaged through the drawer, the police were at a loss.

**Number four: George was left alone.**

There was only one child in the McPherson family, little baby George who wasn’t even a year old. He was found completely unharmed in his nursery. His blankets and clothes were covered in blood.

**Number five: There were ripped up clothes in the living room.**

Right at the entryway of the living room, there was a shirt and a pair of trousers that were ripped to shreds. The clothes were covered with an insane amount of fur.

There were plenty of other things that Louis jotted down in his notebook, but those five things were the _major_ pieces of information.

“Why are you collecting all of this information?” Niall asked.  “Why don’t you just go in the woods and hunt the damn thing?”

Louis and Niall were hanging out in the marketplace, indulging themselves to whatever sweets they wanted. They had just received their pay from their jobs at the bar.

“Part of it is curiosity because it really is a peculiar case,” Louis answered. “But another reason why I’m collecting information is because I want to know what I’m dealing with. You can’t just take a test without studying for it.”

Niall snorted. “You and I are two different people, my friend.”

They moved on to another topic, digging into their bag of saltwater taffy. They were talking about what they were getting their families for Christmas when a loud shout came from the middle of the marketplace. They turned their attention to John Marshall, a hunter, standing on top of a banana cart. His clothes were tattered and there were slash marks all over his skin.

“I saw it!” He yelled. “The wolf! I saw it with my own two eyes!”

"So did I!" Someone else yelled. "It was uglier than my wife!"

Everyone laughed at that before they continued on with whatever they were doing. No one was taking John seriously. Everyone dismissed what he was saying as nonsense from a man with a history of mental issues.

“It was bigger than any animal I’ve ever seen!" John continued. "The damn thing is as big as my cabin! I tried to shoot it, I really did, but it lunged at me and then just… ran off! Keep yourself and your families safe. Don’t go in that forest. That thing is nothing to mess with!”

~

“I really, really, _really_ don’t wanna be here.” Niall said, practically trembling.

Louis dragged Niall out into the forest to finally hunt down the wolf. Niall equipped them with guns from his father’s shed just in case they were faced with any danger.

“Oh stop acting like a baby,” Louis said, keeping his eyes forward. “We’ll be fine.”

Niall grimaced. “Look, major badass, not all of us can be nonchalant about being in the same territory as a killer behemoth.”

They moved swiftly through the snow-covered forest, looking high and low and flinching at any sudden noise. Louis was wearing his signature hooded cape, keeping his hood up to warm his ears. The bright red stuck out gorgeously among the pure white snow.

“Wait,” Louis whispered, coming to a sudden stop. “I think I heard something.”

They just stood there in silence. The only noises that could be heard was their steady breathing and the low whistle of the wind. It was a while before they finally heard it, a loud, unnerving howl that ripped through the freezing air. Louis instantly ran in the direction where the sound came from, dropping his gun. He could hear Niall shouting at him, but he didn’t look back or slow down. Eventually, he had to slow down as soon as he came across a steep slope. After he eased down the slope, he stood still and waited for another noise. It wasn’t too long before he heard yet another howl, which sounded a lot closer than the last one. Louis kept going in the same direction, his pure curiosity driving him forward. His speed caused his hood to fall off his head, exposing his ears to the cold air.

Louis gasped in surprise when he felt his foot get caught in something, causing him to tumble forward and roll down another steep slope. After what felt like forever of rolling downward, he finally landed on flat ground, hitting his head against a rock. He hissed as he held his gloved hand over his throbbing head. His vision was getting fuzzy and the world was quickly starting to fade to black. Before he passed out, he saw what looked to be a giant, brown paw.

~

The first thing Louis saw when he woke up was a fireplace. The flames that were in it warmed his face. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he was on a bear skin rug and covered with a thick blanket. His head was swimming and his vision was slowly adjusting, so he took his time sitting up. When the fog in his mind cleared up, he looked around to see that he was in someone’s living room. He saw a couch, a wooden table, a rocking chair, and a whole lot of potted plants. On the back wall, he saw deer heads and portraits of landscapes. All in all, Louis thought it was a nice and simple home.

“You’re awake.”

Louis flinched at the sudden voice and instantly got on his feet. He grabbed the nearest thing to him, a fire poker, and held it out towards the figure in the entry way of the room. The figure slowly held up their hands and stepped into the light, revealing their face. Louis’ eyes widened and his body felt numb. The man that stood before him had to be the most beautiful man he had ever seen. His curly, brown locks reached his collarbones, he had a lean build, his skin was pale, and his eyes were a brilliant green.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” The man said, cautiously approaching Louis. “I promise.”

Louis was so entranced by the man, that he barely noticed that he was now an inch in front of him, gently grabbing the fire poker out of his hand. The man kept his eyes on Louis as he crouched down to put the item back where it was, and then stood back up.

“Are you alright?” The man asked. “How’s your head? Are you hungry? Did you come from the village? What are you doing way out here? Did-”

Louis put his hand over the man’s mouth. “One at a time please.”

The man blushed as Louis pulled his hand away. “My apologies. You must be confused, being in an unfamiliar place and all. It’s inconsiderate of me to start interrogating you when it should be the other way around. My name is Harry and I was… walking through the woods when I found your body. I took you back here, to my home, and cleaned you up.”

Louis looked down and blushed when he saw that he was in completely different clothes. Harry changed him, which meant that Harry saw him naked.

Harry noticed Louis’ blush and smirked. “We’re both men. It was nothing I haven't seen before. Besides, you had to get out of those clothes.”

“Where’s my cape?” Louis asked, suddenly panicked.

Harry left the room and came back five minutes later with the cape in hand. “It had a tear, so I mended it for you. I also cleaned it.”

Louis took the hooded cape from Harry and held it close. “Thank you so much.”

Harry smiled. “No problem. So, what’s your name?”

Louis examined how neatly Harry stitched up the tear. “My name’s Louis, but most people call me Red because of the cape.”

“Ah, no wonder you were more concerned with that than the rest of your clothes,” Harry said. “It’s your signature.”

Louis grinned. “Basically. It's also something my grandmother made for me. A shirt and trousers can be replaced, but not this. Have you ever met her? She’s one of the few people who live in the forest. Her name’s Mary Ann.”

Harry shook his head. “I don’t see anyone out here. I'm by myself all day."

Louis frowned. “Sounds lonely.”

Harry shrugged. “Eh, it’s not too bad. Do you want something to eat? It’s probably best to get something on your stomach before I take you back to the village.”

Louis’ eyes widened. “You’re taking me back? Oh no, I don’t want to inconvenience you like that. I can find my way back."

“It’s best that I accompany you,” Harry insisted. “You won't get back to the village before nightfall, and the forest can get pretty dangerous at night.”

Louis snorted. “I know. That’s why I brought a… wait, where did you put my gun?”

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed. “I didn’t see a gun anywhere near you.”

Louis was about to object to that before he remembered that there was no way the gun was near him. He dropped it when he heard the first howl, which meant that Niall had it.

“Never mind.” Louis muttered. He never walked through the forest at night and was terrified to do that without some form of protection.

Harry smiled, humored by Louis’ grumpiness. “Aww, don’t worry, love. I’ll get you home safely.”

Louis pouted. “I’d like something to eat now.”

“Your wish is my command.” Harry said. He took Louis’ hand and led him into the kitchen. Louis blushed at the contact. Harry’s hand was calloused yet warm, and it perfectly encompassed Louis’.

“Sit down while I fix you a bowl.” Harry said, letting go of Louis’ hand.

Louis sat down at the dining table and watched Harry grab a bowl from the pantry. Harry scooped tomato soup out of a pot and into the bowl. He carried the steaming bowl and a spoon over to Louis and placed the items in front of him. Louis instantly dug into the food, sighing at the delicious taste of tomato broth and fresh vegetables.

“This is wonderful, Harry.” Louis praised. Harry smiled at the approval. He let Louis eat in silence for a moment before he started asking his questions.

“So, what even brought you out here anyway?” Harry asked. “Were you visiting your grandmother?”

Louis shook his head. “No, I was trying to find the wolf.”

Harry was silent for a suspiciously long time, causing Louis to look up from his bowl. His eyes widened when he saw that Harry's body was trembling and unbelievably tense.

“Um,” Louis started to get up from his seat. “Are you alright?”

Harry realized that he was scaring Louis and instantly started to relax.

“I’m sorry,” Harry whispered. “I don’t know why I… I’m so sorry. Please finish eating.”

“Is it a touchy subject for you?” Louis asked. “The wolf?”

“I guess you could say that,” Harry answered. “It, uh, it terrorizes me more than anyone could know.”

Louis put a comforting hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that. I truly am. I won’t mention it again.”

~

After Louis finished his food, he and Harry left the cottage to go down to a small stable that was right behind it. Harry was wearing a coat he made from rabbit fur, and Louis was wearing his signature hooded cape. Louis grinned when he saw a magnificent horse with a shiny, almost metallic looking, coat.

Harry petted the horse’s muzzle with a fond smile. “Louis, allow me to introduce you to my gorgeous girl, May.”

Louis grinned as he got closer to the horse. “It’s lovely to meet you, May.”

As Louis kept talking to the horse, Harry got a saddle from the back of the stable and secured it on May’s back. After that, he fixed a bridle over her muzzle. He kept warily looking at the sky as it was steadily getting darker.

“We must hurry.” Harry said, leading May out of the stable. He helped Louis get on the saddle before he got on. Louis instantly wrapped his arms around Harry’s torso. The both of them had a bright blush on their cheeks that definitely wasn’t caused by the freezing air.

Harry grabbed both reins with his left hand, and gently brushed his other hand across May’s neck, causing her to dart forward. Louis’ grip tightened around Harry at the sudden speed. The wind was whistling in his ears and the trees were passing by in a blur. He couldn’t help but laugh at the excitement and the pure lunacy of the entire situation. He came in the forest to hunt down a wolf as big as a cabin, and now he was leaving on horseback with a man he just met. Harry probably should’ve found Louis’ sudden manic laughter a bit unnerving, but he found it nothing but endearing.

They rode through the forest in comfortable silence until Harry stopped May with a sharp pull of the reins. Louis looked from behind Harry to see that they were now on a hill overlooking the marketplace. Harry wordlessly got down from May before he helped Louis get down. When Louis dropped on the ground, he slipped forward, causing him to crash into Harry’s chest. Harry steadied Louis, keeping a firm hold on his arms. As they stood there, holding on to each other and staring into each other’s eyes, the world around them seemed to melt away. In that moment, it was only the two of them floating in their own little bubble.

“Won’t you come back to me?” Harry asked, stroking his thumb against Louis’ cheek.

Louis sighed. “I-I don’t know the way to your home.”

Harry bit his lip, thinking for a moment. “Come back to this hill in two days at noon.”

Without another thought, Louis nodded his head. He really wanted to see Harry again. Hesitantly, Louis cupped Harry’s face and got on the tips of his toes to give him a kiss on his forehead.

“Two days from now at noon,” Louis said softly. “Got it.”

With a small smile, Harry reluctantly pulled away from Louis and got back on top of May. “See you then, Red.”

~

“Where in God’s name were you?!” Jay shouted, wrapping Louis in a tight hug.

“I got lost.” Louis answered.

Niall came back to the village after spending an hour searching for Louis. When Louis got home, a search party, all dressed up and equipped with weapons, was preparing to go into the forest. Louis rolled his eyes when he saw that Shane was a part of the group.

After Jay let Louis go and gave him an ear full about running off into the woods, Shane came up to him and held him tight. Louis almost gagged at being so close to him.

“God, I was so worried about you,” Shane murmured. “Why on earth did you run off like that?”

Louis gave a sweet smile, trying so hard to hide his disgust and annoyance.

“None of your business, you pathetic excuse for skin.” Louis whispered in Shane's ear.

Shane chuckled. “Is that any way to talk to your future husband?”

Louis yanked himself from Shane’s hold and was instantly wrapped up in another hug from Niall.

“I should kill you right now for worrying me like that,” Niall said. “Where were you? I don’t buy for a second that you got lost. You know that forest like the back of your hand.”

“I’ll tell you later.” Louis answered.

After all the fuss, everyone started to pile out of the Tomlinson residence. Shane told Louis to have a good night and gave him a kiss on the cheek before he left. Jay watched the small interaction with a fond smile on her face. She pulled Louis into the kitchen and fixed him with a harsh glare.

“You had all of us worried sick,” She said. “You’re banned from going in that forest for at least two weeks.”

Louis scoffed. “What? But what if I want to visit grandmother?”

“Then your father will accompany you,” Jay answered. “You probably think this is harsh but, Louis, I was so scared. I was scared that… that the wolf had gotten you. Hopefully, someone will kill the damn thing by the time your punishment is over.”

“But, mom-”

“Not another word.” Jay snapped.

Louis didn’t sleep a wink that night. His mind was filled with thoughts about Harry. There was no way that he was staying away from the forest. He made a promise to Harry that he intended to keep, and he was determined to see that wolf.

“Lou,”

Louis looked over at the bed that Charlotte and Felicite shared. Felicite was sound asleep while Charlotte looked at him with wide eyes.

“Where were you?” She asked. “You said that you were lost but I just don’t believe that. You know that forest like the back of your hand.”

Louis wanted to tell his sister what happened, he really did, but she couldn’t keep a secret for anything in the world.

“I really did get lost.” Louis answered.

Charlotte glared at Louis before she turned away from him. “Fine. Don’t tell me.”

Louis was about to say something else, but he was cut off by a loud, blood curdling scream. He shot up from the bed and looked out the window to see Ms. Hattie, his stepfather’s mistress, standing in the middle of the road. Her clothes were tattered and covered in blood and she was screaming her head off. People started coming out of their cabins, looking at the woman as if she had gone insane. Louis, followed by Charlotte and Felicite, who was now wide awake, ran out of the room and out of the front door of the cabin. Louis saw that his mother and stepfather were already on the porch. His eyes widened when he saw that his stepfather had a fresh scratch on his face.

“The wolf!” Ms. Hattie screamed. “It came out of nowhere and… and…” she fell to her knees and sobbed. “It killed her! My sweet, wonderful sister! That damn beast killed her!” she looked up and stared right at Louis’ stepfather. “Mark! Tell them! You were there! You saw everything!”

Jay froze. She didn’t look at her husband out of fear that she’d fall apart. She knew well and good what he was up to that night.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Edna.” Mark said, avoiding Ms. Hattie’s eyes. She looked at him in pure disgust before she began to sob again.

“We didn’t stand a chance,” She continued. “It came out of nowhere and started to attack us! Kill me! Just kill me! I refuse to go on without my sister!”

Louis had never liked Ms. Hattie. How could he? She shamelessly threw herself at married men and seemed to only care about herself. However, in that moment, he couldn’t help but shed a tear for her. Two of the parker brothers from next door came over to Ms. Hattie and helped her get up. They carefully led her back to her home.

“Keep your loved ones close,” Ms. Hattie said. “And beware of the beast!”


	2. Warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am almost done with exams. Lord, give me strength. Enjoy!

All hell broke loose the night after Bette Hattie was killed by the wolf. An angry mob grabbed their pitchforks and torches and furiously marched into the forest. Louis’ mother told him and his sisters to stay inside but he paid no mind to that demand. When Charlotte and Felicite were sound asleep, Louis crept out of their shared bedroom and headed to the front door. He stood for a moment, listening out for any noises, before he slipped on his boots and hooded cape and left the cabin. He grabbed a lantern from the front porch as he ran off.

Louis reached the marketplace in under half an hour. The area was tranquil during the day, but was filled with excitement and merriment at night. Music and laughter flowed out of every building. Men and women stumbled out of bars, drunk out of their minds, and walked in the street to search for more adventure. Louis briskly walked through the crowded area, getting closer and closer to the forest. He stopped when he saw the familiar face of a very despicable human being.

Shane approached Louis with a huge grin on his face, shooing away a girl who was hanging off his arm. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t my precious little red. What brings you out here so late at night? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

Louis rolled his eyes and moved to walk past Shane. Shane, however, was having none of that and moved to block his way.

Louis huffed. “Get out of my way before I bash your head in.”

Shane shook his head. “Not until you tell me where you’re going.”

“If you really must know, I’m going in the forest.”

“Why?”

“To join the mob. Surely you know what happened last night.”

Shane thought for a moment before he answered. “Oh yeah, one of the slut sisters got torn apart by the wolf, right?”

Louis grimaced. “You’re definitely the epitome of class, Shane. Now step aside.”

“If you’re going in then I’m going in with you. It’s too dangerous for you to be out there alone.”

Louis stared at Shane with a blank expression. “Shane Nicholas Buchannan, I am going to make this as crystal clear as I possibly can. I do not want nor do I need your protection. Step aside.”

“But I want to protect you,” Shane said, stepping closer to Louis. “I’d give my life for you.”

Louis felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his sockets with the amount times he was rolling them. Louis knew that Shane was joining him no matter what he said, so he nodded his head. The two of them walked through the marketplace until they reached the edge of the forest. Shane hesitated before he went in while Louis charged right in without another thought. Everything was silent except for the distant noise of the angry mob that was far ahead of them. With his lantern raised, Louis slowly crept through the forest, listening out for any noises. Shane was close behind him.

They walked together in silence for a long time before Shane spoke up. “Louis, I have a question.”

“I probably have an answer.” Louis said, keeping his eyes forward.

“Why are you so interested in this damn wolf?” Shane asked.

“I just wanna see it,” Louis answered. “Things as peculiar as a monstrous wolf terrorizing the village don’t usually happen.”

“You don’t think it’s kind of… fucked up of you to be so interested in this?” Shane asked. “People died, Red.”

Louis scoffed. “Coming from a guy who referred to one of the victims as a slut.”

“It’s not like I was lying. You should know that better than anybody.”

Louis grew silent at that. He wanted to turn around and beat Shane with the lantern until his brain matter was splattered all over the ground, but he controlled himself. It wasn’t a secret to anybody in the village that his stepfather wasn’t faithful to his mother, but to actually _hear_ someone imply that made his chest ache.

“Louis,” Shane said. “Can I ask you another question?”

Louis sighed. “Sure.”

Shane was silent for a while before he spoke again. “Why don’t you love me? I can give you anything that you desire. I can make sure that you’d never lift a finger. I can take you to exotic places that people only _dream_ of going to. I can give you everything, yet you don’t love me as much as I love you. Why?”

Louis stopped and turned around to face Shane. “You’re an arrogant, disgusting jackass who will never earn my respect, let alone my love. I’d rather be poor, homeless, and doing unspeakable things for food than have your last name!”

Shane glared at Louis as he grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him into a tree. Louis winced at the pain in his back, holding back tears at the fact that he was all too familiar with this position.

“Why are you acting like you have a choice?” Shane growled. “Your parents love me. They think I’m the best person for you and they’re completely right. I _am_ the best person for you. You will be mine.”

Louis furiously shook his head. “Never.”

Shane leaned in, his face now a centimeter away from Louis’. “Like I said, you don’t have a choice. In three months, I’ll turn twenty one and then I’ll finally be able to choose my spouse.”

“No.”

“I’ll come straight to your home and ask your parents for your hand in marriage.”

“Go to hell!”

“And they’ll say yes!”

“I’ll be the worst!” Louis shouted. “You may be able to take my body, but you’ll never have the part of me that matters! I’ll be indifferent to you, I’ll never tell you that I love you, you’ll be no lower than shit to me. I’ll never accept you as mine!”

Shane smirked and harshly dug his fingers in Louis’ wrists. “I have ways to break you, my sweet.”

Louis and Shane froze when they heard a deep growl that sounded like thunder. They turned their heads to see a gigantic, brown wolf appearing from the shadows. Its glowing green eyes were hooded and seemed to be staring right into Shane’s soul. It crept up to them with light steps, its paws leaving prints that were just as huge as Louis imagined them to be. Shane let go of Louis and started to slowly back away from the wolf. The wolf stopped moving and stood as still as a statue before it pounced forward and landed right in front of Shane. Shane yelled and fell back in surprise. He quickly got up, turned around, and started to run as fast as he possibly could.

When Shane was far away from the area, the wolf turned its attention to Louis and started to approach him. Louis knew he probably should’ve felt terrified, but he wasn’t. As he stared into the Wolf’s eyes, he felt a strange familiarity that made him feel safe. The wolf stopped in front of him and leaned forward to rub its muzzle against his stomach. Louis giggled and covered his stomach at the slight tickle of the action. He smiled at the wolf and reached out to rub circles into its head. The wolf melted into the touch.

“You’re just a lovable ball of fluff, aren’t you?” Louis chuckled, using his other hand to rub behind the wolf’s ear. He petted the wolf until he heard gunshots echoing through the forest. The wolf flinched and darted away from area, disappearing in the shadows. The screaming mob rushed past Louis as if he was invisible, trying to catch the wolf. Louis had a strong feeling that they would fail in that endeavor.

~

The next day, Louis had to lie to his mother to get out of the house. He told her that he was going to hang out with Niall when in reality, he was going to meet up with Harry. He felt nervous at the thought of seeing Harry again. He felt like his heart was trying to break out of his chest as he walked up the steep hill where he last saw him. When he reached the top of the hill, he instantly noticed a red ribbon tied to a tree branch. It had a small piece of paper attached to it. Louis carefully untied the ribbon from the tree branch and read what was on the paper.

_Follow the red ribbons for a fun afternoon! -H_

Louis couldn’t help but laugh at Harry’s corniness, but he was nothing but endeared. He began his journey through the forest, untying ribbons from tree branches as he went. He walked for over half an hour before he finally saw Harry’s cottage. He almost missed it since it was well hidden among the trees. Harry was waiting at the front door dressed in nothing but a pair of trousers and a thin shirt. He was so focused on picking his nails he didn’t notice Louis approaching him.

“Are you not cold?” Louis asked. Startled, Harry looked up in alarm but smiled softly when he saw Louis.

“I never get cold,” Harry answered. He looked at the ribbons clutched in Louis’ hands and chuckled. “You collected all of them?”

“To tie them in that mane of yours.” Louis joked.

Harry grinned as he took Louis’ hand and led him inside. “You can do that while the pie is cooling off.”

“You baked pie?” Louis asked, sniffing the air and humming at the smell of it. “What kind?”

“Blackberry.” Harry answered.

Louis squealed like a child and hugged Harry from behind. “That’s my favorite!”

Louis sat on the couch and Harry sat between his legs, watching the fireplace as Louis started tying the ribbons in his hair. Harry hummed at the feeling of Louis’ hands running through his hair and massaging his scalp.

They stayed in that position for a while until Louis spoke up. “Do you think the pie is cool now?”

“The what?” Harry slurred, completely blissed out.

Louis chuckled as he got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen. Harry pouted and grumbled under his breath before he got up and followed him. Louis was sitting on the counter, patiently waiting for Harry to cut him a piece of pie.

“Your hair looks great by the way.” Louis said.

Harry ran his fingers through his hair to feel the ribbons. “Get comfortable while I fix you a plate.”

Louis jumped off the counter before he took off his hooded cape and placed it on the table. He then slipped off his boots. When he sat down at the dining table, Harry put the plate right in front of him. Louis instantly picked up the fork and dug into his pie.

“Jesus, Mary, Joseph, this is delicious.” Louis moaned.

Harry grinned. “You sure do know how to make a man feel great about his cooking.”

~

“Do you still feel cold?” Harry asked, squeezing Louis tighter.

“I’m fine,” Louis answered. “You’re so warm.”

Harry was the one who suggested that he and Louis ride May to a small clearing. They were now sitting on the ground, watching two baby deer playing in the snow. Their mother watched over them, occasionally looking at Louis and Harry.

“The doe reminds me of my mother,” Louis said. “Keeping a close eye on her babies and making sure we don’t do anything sketchy around them.”

“Reminds me of my mother, too.” Harry said.

Louis noticed how distant Harry’s tone sounded and turned his head to look at him. Harry had a vacant look in his eyes as he stared at the deer, looking as if he was remembering something he didn’t want to remember. Louis closed his eyes and gave Harry a small peck on the cheek. Harry looked at Louis in surprise, but that expression soon melted into one of fond and adoration.

“Do you wanna talk about her?” Louis asked.

Harry bit his lip and nodded. “There’s not really much to say since I was separated from her at a really young age, but I do remember that she was a very passionate woman. She always stuck up for her family and she never let people walk all over her as if she was nothing. You could never lie to her. She could spot a liar from a mile away. But she wasn’t just tough, Louis, she was… kind and nurturing and…”

Harry trailed off and his eyes once again looked vacant. Louis rubbed his thumb against Harry’s cheek, trying to get him to come back down to earth.

“How did the two of you get separated?” Louis asked.

“I don’t want to talk about that.” Harry answered shortly, his body tensing up. Louis turned to fully face him and placed his hands on his shoulders.

“That’s fine,” Louis said. “That’s completely fine. You’ll tell me when you’re ready, yeah?”

Harry silently looked at Louis with a curious expression, studying his eyes as if he was trying to figure out whether they looked trustworthy or not. Harry’s expression softened, deciding then and there that Louis had the kindest eyes he had ever seen.

“Yes,” Harry answered, turning his head to place a kiss on Louis’ wrist. “I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”

~

Louis and Harry swayed together in the living room to the melodious piano playing coming from Harry’s record player. Louis’ head was rested against Harry’s shoulder and his hands were laying on Harry’s chest. Harry’s hands were firmly placed on Louis’ waist, guiding the two of them in their impromptu dance.

“Where did you get the record player?” Louis asked. He had never seen a record player of such high quality before, not even in stores on the affluent side of the village.

“It was a gift from a friend,” Harry answered. “His name is Zayn. He travels a lot and brings me all sorts of gifts.”

Louis perked up at that and pulled away to look at Harry. “Can I see some of the gifts?”

Harry grinned at Louis’ enthusiasm and pulled him into his bedroom. Louis sat on Harry’s bed as Harry rooted around his closet. He pulled out a large chest and motioned Louis to come to him. Louis got up and sat on the floor beside Harry as he unlocked the chest and opened it. The chest was filled with all sorts of jewelry, figurines, coins, and books.

Louis was awestruck. “These are gorgeous.”

Harry placed his hand over Louis’ and gave it a squeeze. “I’m really glad that you think so. Do you want me to tell you about them, or would that bore you?”

“I want to hear everything you’re willing to tell me.” Louis answered. He never sounded more sincere in his life.

Harry spent the next two hours thoroughly explaining the history of each and every item in that box, and Louis attentively listened to every single word, genuinely intrigued by each piece of new information. As the afternoon sun slowly began to set, Louis’ heart began to beat in synch with Harry’s.

Louis didn’t _instantly_ notice that Harry was staring at him, but when he finally did, he didn’t hesitate to lean in and press their lips together. Harry instantly responded to the kiss, placing his hand on the back of Louis’ neck. When Louis pulled away, his breathing was erratic, his skin was flushed, and his heart felt as if it was about to beat out of his chest. Harry was in the same state, except his eyes appeared to be glowing.

“It’s getting late,” Louis said, breaking both of them out of their trance. “I should head back home.”

“I need to see you again,” Harry whispered, gripping Louis’ arms. “Promise me that I’ll see you again.”

“I don’t think I could stay away from you.” Louis said. He blushed at how sappy his statement sounded.

Harry smiled. “The feeling’s mutual, Red.”

~

Instead of riding May, Harry decided to walk Louis back to the village. They silently made their journey, hand in hand, through the forest. The only sound either of them could hear was their own breathing. When they reached the top of the hill, Harry turned Louis to face him before he wordlessly kissed his lips.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Louis breathed. The kisses he shared with Harry were plain and sweet, but they were enough to make his head spin.

“Tomorrow.” Harry said. And with that, he reluctantly pulled away from Louis and walked back into the forest.

A huge grin took over Louis’ face as he ran down the hill. He couldn’t describe the happiness he felt. He wanted to scream, he wanted to do cartwheels, he wanted to let the world know how joyful he felt. He practically skipped into the marketplace, giving enthusiastic waves and greetings to every person he passed by, not noticing the grim expressions on their faces. Eventually, Louis stopped dead in his tracks and gasped at the sight in front of him. The mayor of the village was surrounded by an angry mob. The mob was shouting abuse at him and demanding him to do something about the wolf. Louis spotted Niall in the crowd, looking warily at the scene, and ran to him.

“Niall, what’s going on?” Louis asked.

Niall sighed. “Another body was found this morning. People wanna know what the mayor plans to do about the wolf.”

“Whose body?”

“Doug Carlisle.”

Louis’ skin paled and he felt as if he was punched in the gut. Doug Carlisle, the owner of the general store, the husband to Elise Carlisle, and the father to three children, was savagely murdered by the wolf.

“Do you plan to let us all die?!”

“Do something, you bastard!”

“I propose a mutiny!”

With the help of his advisors, the mayor climbed on top of a table and started to urge everyone to calm down.

“Brothers, sisters, please calm down!” The mayor ordered. Everyone grew silent and waited for what he had to say.

“I know that you’re all scared,” The mayor began. “I’m scared, too, but riots and mutiny won’t fix anything so please refrain from that.”

“We’ll _refrain from that_ if you get off your ass!” Someone yelled. Everyone shouted their agreements.

“You’re our leader and we expect for you to fucking _lead_!” Someone else yelled. That statement caused the insults and the shouting to start back up.

“People, please!” The mayor shouted, causing everyone to grow silent again. “I promise that I will gather the best team of hunters to kill this beast. You have nothing to worry about. Besides, it’s a wolf. It can’t be too hard to hunt down and kill.”

“A regular wolf isn’t too hard to catch, but a wolf man is a different story.”

Everyone turned their attention to the source of that statement, John Marshall.

“ _Great_ ,” A lady muttered. “The nutcase.”

The mayor looked at John as if he grew a second head. “A… _wolf man_ , Mr. Marshall?”

John climbed on top of the table with the mayor and faced the crowd. “That’s right. I’ve looked at all the evidence of the McPherson incident, I've seen how big the beast is, and what you people are dealing with is a wolf man. A man or woman that has the ability to transform into a wolf.”

The crowd was silent for a while before someone spoke up. “Oh fuck off, you loon.”

“You can call me a loon, but that doesn’t change the fact that one of you is killing us,” John said. “Look to your left and then look to your right. The person beside you could possibly be the wolf man.”

The mayor pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ok, I’ll bite. _Why_ do you think we’re dealing with a wolf man?”

“The evidence,” John answered. “It all points to one logical explanation.”

“The explanation being… that someone has the ability to turn into a wolf.” The mayor drawled. “Alright then, can someone escort Mr. Marshall back to his home?”

“Just because the truth sounds crazy doesn’t mean it isn’t true,” John continued. “The beast you're dealing with is someone who walks among you. It could be your bartender, your apothecary, your cousin, your brother, your mother. It could even be _me_.” Everyone's eyes widened at that. “The only people you can trust is Doug Carlisle, Bette Hattie, and the McPhersons. Don’t be stupid. Heed my warning.”


	3. Shattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you enjoyed the holidays, starshines. Please enjoy the chapter!

“I… don’t even know what to say.” Niall said.

Louis and Niall went back to Louis’ cabin after the angry mob had dispersed from the marketplace. Niall was confused when Jay asked him how their hangout was, but he quickly caught on to Louis’ lie and told her it was great.

Charlotte and Felicite went out with some of their friends, so Louis and Niall had the bedroom all to themselves. Louis had just finished telling Niall about his encounter with the wolf and his budding relationship with Harry.

“I didn’t really expect you to have much to say,” Louis chuckled. “I didn’t even expect you to _believe_ any of this.”

Niall sighed. “It’s pretty wild. I mean, the wolf, this ferocious beast that has killed about seven people in under a week, scared Shane off and allowed you to… pet it? And on the day you ran off, you passed out and some random guy in the forest, who you are now dating, took you back to his place and took care of you?”

Louis blushed. “Well, um, I wouldn’t say that we’re _dating_. We just met. But I can’t say that I don’t already have feelings for him. The way that he _held_ me... the way that he _kissed_ me…”

Louis trailed off and smiled at the memories that were going through his mind. His afternoon with Harry was something that he would never forget. Even if Harry left his life for good, taking his warmth and affection with him, Louis would never allow himself to forget.

Niall smiled. “Good God, this is something serious. You’re completely gone for him.” He frowned, biting nervously at his lip. “Your parents would never allow this. You know that, right?”

Louis frowned. “Why do you say that?”

Niall's frown deepened. “You know why.”

Louis looked away from him. He _did_ know why. If you were a parent who wanted the very best for your child, who would you choose for them to marry? The wealthy gentleman who can sweep them off their feet and make every single one of their wildest dreams come true, or the man who lives in some cottage in the forest?

Niall gave Louis a sad smile. “I’m sorry for upsetting you, but I can’t just let you have these thoughts that can never be reality.”

Louis got up from his spot on Niall’s bed and put on his hooded cape. “I came here to tell you about my week, not to receive a reality check.”

“Lou-”

“Good evening, Niall.”

Louis practically ran out of Niall’s home, trying his best to keep himself together. He knew he was being a bit silly, getting so upset about what Niall had said, but he was such an independent person. The thought of having no control over who he got to spend the rest of his life with was something he never liked to be reminded of, especially since the person his parents were interested in was the worst person he ever had the displeasure of knowing.

Louis didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want to face his family when he was so obviously distressed. There was only one place he felt comfortable going to.

~

Harry was sound asleep on his rocking chair, his feet resting on the table, when he heard a loud knock on his door. He had just came home from dropping Louis off and was knocked out as soon as he sat down. He grumpily got up from his chair, grabbed his pistol from underneath his throw pillow, and cautiously approached the door. He peeked out the window and instantly unlocked the door and threw it open. Louis was standing outside, trembling from the bitter cold with dried tears on his face.

“Why are you out here so late?” Harry hissed, yanking him inside, closing the door, and placing the pistol on the counter. “You walked all the way over here at night! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Why aren’t you-”

Harry stopped his fierce interrogation when Louis squeezed his eyes shut and started to sob. He sighed as he wrapped his arms around Louis’ freezing body and held him tight.

“I-I’m sorry,” Louis choked out. “I just don’t want to be home right now. I’m so, so sorry for bothering you.”

Harry didn’t say a word as he started to wipe Louis’ tears away with his thumbs, occasionally placing small kisses on his cheeks. Louis closed his eyes and allowed himself to be coddled, to be comforted, which was a very hard thing for him to do. They just stood there until Harry broke the silence.

“I can throw a log in the fire and cuddle you on the rug.” He suggested.

Louis smiled. “That would be lovely.”

Harry threw another log into the fire, giving the dying flames new life, before he and Louis laid down on the soft, bearskin rug. Louis' head was laying on Harry’s chest and he felt the warmth of the fire against his back. The sound of Harry’s steady heartbeat combined with the heat of the fire had put him at ease.

“Please don’t walk alone at night in this forest,” Harry murmured. “especially without any way of protecting yourself. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt, or even…”

Harry trailed off and squeezed Louis even tighter. Louis clutched the material of Harry’s shirt. As Harry’s heart started to speed up, he could feel his heart doing the exact same thing.

“I just had to see you,” Louis whispered. “I just can’t be home right now.”

“Why?” Harry asked.

Louis remained silent.

“Louis, please tell me.”

Louis sighed. “When a man of high status reaches the age of twenty-one, he can choose their spouse. However, he has to ask the parents of the person they want for their permission, or else it can’t be allowed. There’s… this _vile_ person who wants to marry me and he turns twenty-one soon.” Harry tensed at that. “He… he’s going to ask my parents if he can marry me, and they’ll say yes because he’s _wealthy_ and _charming_ ,” Louis bit his lip to keep himself from crying again. “And I can’t even get angry at them because they just want the best for me. But I would rather die than marry that man!”

“Louis, breathe,” Harry ordered. Louis started to take deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. “Have you tried talking to your parents?”

Louis rolled his eyes. “They don’t believe a word I say about him. They think so highly of him and his family that they refuse to see him for who he really is.”

Harry grew silent. He didn’t know what to say. Louis was in such a tight position and there wasn’t anything Harry could say or do about it, and that angered Harry to no end.

“Does he love you?” He asked, practically choking out the words. “If he feels strongly for you then maybe-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Louis interrupted. “I doubt he does, he’s the type of person who’s only in love with having control over everything, but even if he did, how could I possibly love him back? He’s the most pathetic excuse for a man I’ve ever met.” Louis sat up on his elbow and looked down at Harry. “And if there was even a small chance that he could have earned my love, it’s gone now. I’m afraid my heart belongs to someone else.”

Harry swallowed a growing lump in his throat. “You barely know me.”

Louis sighed. “This is crazy for me too, you know, but there’s a huge part of me that doesn’t mind being with you for as long as you'll have me. And our hearts,” Louis placed his hand on Harry’s chest. “They seem to be in synch with each other. You can’t tell me that’s not a sign.”

“It’s something far more extraordinary than that,” Harry muttered, covering Louis’ hand with his.

Louis wanted to ask what Harry meant by that, but the look on his face told Louis that that would have to be another conversation for another time. He leaned down and pressed his lips against Harry’s. He pulled back only to get pulled back in by Harry’s firm grip on the back of his neck. The fire that blazed inside of Louis when his tongue made contact with Harry’s was fiercer than the real fire warming his back. Harry moved his hand down to Louis’ waist as he rolled them over. He pulled back and rested on his elbow to look down at Louis. The fire illuminated his now swollen lips and flushed skin. He stared right back at Harry and reached his hand up to swipe his thumb across his bottom lip.

“Louis,” Harry breathed.

Louis suddenly couldn’t breathe. That was the first time Harry had said his real name, and the level of adoration that coated his voice made Louis’ chest ache. The two of them just laid on the rug, their fingers laced together, and Louis had never felt more at peace. He eventually drifted off into a deep sleep.

~

When Louis woke up the next morning, he saw that Harry was no longer next to him. The fire was out and his body was bathed in sunlight streaming from the window. Harry suddenly appeared from the kitchen with two steaming mugs. He smiled warmly when he saw that Louis was awake.

“Morning, Red.” Harry said as he sat on the rug next to Louis.

Louis stretched out with a yawn before placing his hand on Harry’s thigh. “Morning, What’s in those mugs?”

“A little concoction I came up with a while ago.” Harry answered, handing one of the mugs to Louis.

Louis sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He handled the mug with both of his hands as he gently blew at the steam. His lips pursed at the strange, light pink drink before he shrugged and took a small sip. His eyes widened when the sweet taste of raspberry and mint greeted his taste buds.

Harry smiled at his reaction. “Pretty good, huh?”

“Incredible,” Louis answered before he took a long sip of the drink. “What is this?”

Harry shrugged. “Just something I made up one day.”

“What’s in it?”

“That’s a secret.”

Louis pouted. “You’re mean.”

Harry laughed before he leaned forward to give Louis a kiss on the cheek. Louis blushed, which urged Harry to give him a kiss on the other cheek. When Harry pulled away, Louis placed his hand on his shoulder and pressed their lips together. Harry’s eyes were glazed over when Louis pulled away.

“Maybe I should call the drink _Louis’ kiss_ ,” Harry said. “Because it’s sweet, warm, and makes my body tingle.”

Louis laughed. “God, you’re so sappy.”

Harry blushed. “W-Well I-”

Louis placed a finger over Harry’s lip, effectively shutting him up. “I didn’t say that I don't appreciate it.”

Harry wrapped his hand around Louis’ wrist and kissed his palm. “I’ve never felt this way before. The way you make me feel… it’s indescribable.”

Louis bit his lip. “I feel the exact same way. Though, I can’t say it doesn’t scare me. We don’t know much about each other, so it’s sort of crazy for us- _me_ to feel this strongly, isn’t it?”

Harry leaned forward until his forehead was resting against Louis’. “It’s not crazy for _us_ to feel this strongly for each other. I want to tell you everything. The only thing I desire right now is for you to know me like the back of your hand but…”

“But what?”

Harry sighed. “It’s not the right time. I’m a lot more complicated than you might think I am.”

Harry didn’t make an ounce of sense to Louis. All humans had their complications and quirks. He wasn’t under the illusion that Harry was an exception to that. He wondered what on earth made Harry so complicated that there needed to be a _right time_ for him to open up to Louis.

However, Louis said none of this. He simply smiled at Harry and said, “Whenever you’re ready, my heart is open.”

Harry smiled but Louis could see the poorly veiled sadness behind it.

~

Louis was slightly nervous to go back home since he was gone all night. He was filled with dread at the thought of having to lie to his panicked mother, probably _sick_ with worry, about where he was all night. However, Niall covered his ass just like he always did. When Jay came over to the Horan residence, he was able to get Maddox to tell her that he and Louis were hanging out together at the marketplace, and that Louis was spending the night over there. Louis wrapped Niall in what could possibly be the world’s tightest hug when he told him that. He loved his best friend, he truly did, and he hated being mad at him.

When Louis returned home, he was greeted by the sight of his mother sweeping the kitchen, her posture relaxed and her expression serene. She looked up at Louis and smiled.

“How was the sleep over?” She asked.

“Good,” Louis answered with a blissful smile. “Really good.”

Jay raised an eyebrow at that, but she didn’t say a word. She just continued her cleaning, letting Louis head off to his bedroom.

“You weren’t with Niall,” Felicite said as soon as Louis entered the room. He froze at the sight of her and Charlotte sitting on their shared bed, both looking skeptically at him.

“What do you mean?” Louis asked, forcing a smile. “Of course I-”

“A friend of mine said that she saw you go into the forest yesterday,” Charlotte said. “Lou, you know how mother feels about-”

“She’s just paranoid,” Louis interrupted. “I went in there and came back out perfectly fine, not a scratch on me. Besides, I… I was just visiting grandmother.”

“Why would you lie about your whereabouts if you were just visiting grandmother?” Felicite asked.

“Um, well-”

“Louis, please don’t lie,” Charlotte said with a frown. “Please just tell us the truth. We promise that we won’t tell mother.”

Louis looked away from her disappointed expression. “I can’t.”

Charlotte stomped her foot petulantly. “Why not?”

“Because the truth is a lot more mental than you might think it is.” Louis answered.

Felicite rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Lou. You can’t-”

“Look,” Louis snapped. “I don’t have to tell either of you every single thing that’s going on in my life. I don’t expect to know everything about you two, and you shouldn’t expect to know everything about me. Just leave me alone and give me some space. I’ll tell you when I damn well want to tell you, ok?”

His sisters gave him the silent treatment for the rest of the day.

~

In the following month, Louis had been spending more time with Harry. Louis fell in love with their cuddles in front of the fireplace, their afternoon horseback rides, their shared kisses, and their conversations about everything under the sun. He was completely enamored with those moments and treasured them more than anything else in the world.

Louis made the usual journey through the forest. His mother was under the impression that he was with Niall. She wasn’t as overly protective as she was a couple of weeks prior since there hadn’t been a wolf incident in a while, but she was still paranoid. When Louis got to the cottage, he was confused to hear more than one voice behind the front door. He let himself in and stopped when he saw a man lounging on Harry’s couch. Harry was resting in his rocking chair. He looked up and grinned when he saw Louis standing in the entry way.

“Red!” He cheered. “This is my friend Zayn.”

Louis smiled, feeling overjoyed to finally meet Harry’s closest friend. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“So, you’re the one Harry can’t seem to shut up about,” Zayn teased. “Nice to meet you, too.

“Oh, fuck off.” Harry laughed.

Zayn patted the spot beside him. “Well, come here, Red. I don’t bite.”

Louis saw Harry flinch at that, but didn’t pay any mind to it. He shrugged off his hooded cape and sat down beside Zayn.

“You wanna know where I just came back from?” Zayn asked.

Suddenly intrigued, Louis nodded.

Zayn grinned. “I just came back from France.”

Louis’ jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

Zayn told Louis about the rich history behind each and every landmark and building he visited, the delicacies, the people he met and formed strong relationships with, and the many bars and restaurants he managed to get kicked out from. Louis hung on to every single word, looking completely awestruck. Harry watched the both of them of them talk with a very blissful expression on his face. He loved that they were getting along so well, and he especially loved the look of wonder on Louis’ face as Zayn told him stories, some of them no longer having anything to do with his most recent trip, that he had heard a thousand times. After Zayn had rambled on for at least a couple of hours, still maintaining Louis’ attention, Harry decided to cut in.

“Where are my presents?” He asked.

Zayn scoffed. “Is that all I’m good for?”

Harry nodded which prompted Zayn to give him a swift kick on the shin. Zayn reached down to pull his beaten-up knapsack from the floor and started rooting around in it.

“I got a couple things,” He mumbled. “I just have to- aha!” Zayn pulled out two items wrapped in bright red tissue paper. “I was gonna give you both but… eh, what the hell. Here.” He placed one of the items in Louis’ lap.

Louis furiously shook his head. “No. I couldn’t possibly-”

“Man, it’s fine,” Zayn chuckled, tossing the other item to Harry. “Just take it.”

As Harry started to mindlessly tear at the tissue paper, Louis carefully unwrapped his object, thinking that he’d somehow break whatever was inside if he just tore at the paper. Eventually, he uncovered a small, wooden box. It had carvings of ballet slippers, music notes, and crowns all over it.

“Beautiful,” Louis whispered, marveling at the fine craftsmanship. “Absolutely _gorgeous_.”

Zayn and Harry watched Louis as he ran his fingers across the smooth carvings and handled the box with the utmost care. Harry received a silver cross necklace, but paid no mind to it. He was much too endeared by the look of pure wonder on Louis’ face.

“Open it.” Zayn ordered, his tone soft and gentle.

Louis opened the box. A small princess figurine in a sparkly pink dress sprung up and started twirling around to the soft, dreamy music that flowed from the box. Louis’ eyes practically sparkled and his grin was so huge that his cheeks were starting to hurt. He placed the box on the table and wrapped Zayn in a tight hug.

“That’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever received,” He praised. “Thank you so much.”

Zayn smiled softly, returning the hug. “You’re welcome, Red.”

~

Louis walked back to the village with an extra spring in his step, clutching onto his gift as if it was the most precious thing in the world. His mood was so elevated, he didn’t even internally die a little when he saw Shane walk up to him.

“Afternoon, Shane.” Louis greeted warmly.

Shane’s eyes widened at the polite greeting. “Uh, afternoon. What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“Just hung out with a few friends.” Louis answered.

“I thought Nigel was your only friend.” Shane chuckled.

At any other time, Louis would correct Shane and then icily tell him to go fuck himself, but he was in too good of a mood to do that. Shane stepped in front of Louis, halting his movements.

“Alright, why are you acting so strange?” Shane asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Louis rolled his eyes. “The fact that me being kind to you is considered strange really does speak volumes for our relationship.”

“What do you have there?” Shane asked, trying to grab at the music box.

Louis was no longer in a happy mood. “Don’t just grab at it!”

Shane stepped away, holding his hands up in defense. He had never heard Louis’ voice take on such a vicious tone.

Shane snorted. “I can’t even get a peek? Come on, Red.”

Louis sighed before he carefully unwrapped the music box and showed it to Shane. Even though he hated the man, he still wanted to show off his gift to anyone who was curious about it.

Shane grimaced. “You’re excited about that cheap old thing?”

Louis shook his head in disgust as he tried to move past Shane. Shane grabbed his arm, stopping him from doing so.

“I’m getting real tired of you walking away from me.” Shane said, his tone dark.

“I wish I had the strength to give one _ounce_ of a fuck about that,” Louis scoffed. “And this _cheap old thing_ is really fucking special to me, so I suggest that you don’t say another word about it.”

Shane squeezed Louis’ wrist. “Such coarse language. As my future spouse, you’ll have to change that.”

Louis laughed bitterly. “As I said before, I’ll be the worst.”

Shane just stared at Louis, his eyes filled with such intense disdain and… _desire_. At this point, Louis was starting to wonder if Shane was actually turned on by his defiance. A beat passed before Shane let go of Louis and walked away from him as if nothing happened.

~

“Whoa,” Charlotte breathed. Her and Felicite were marveling at the princess in the music box and unconsciously swaying to the music. The two of them had accepted a while ago that Louis would never tell them where he was running off to, but they were content with that as long as he brought back things as enchanting as the music box.

“You can’t tell mother that I have this,” Louis ordered. “It’s our little secret, ok?”

The girls nodded, not able to tear their eyes away from the twirling princess. Louis couldn’t have felt more endeared if he tried.

~

As Louis and Niall sat on a bench in the marketplace, casually eating their salt water taffy, they could tell that everyone around them was tense. There hadn’t been a wolf incident in three weeks and as November slowly started to slip into December, the entire village had become so eerily silent and still. No one had seen the army of hunters that the mayor had promised to send into the forest, but everyone was so on edge that they didn’t even consider starting a raucous over that.

“Maybe that loon was right,” Louis heard a man say to his group of friends. “Maybe there really is a wolfman.”

“Oh, come on, Marsh,” One of the friends laughed. “You can’t possibly be buying-”

“I know it’s crazy, but he could be on to something,” Marsh interrupted. “Don’t you think it’s weird that the attacks stopped happening right after the loon said that we’re dealing with a wolfman? I’m telling you, that might just be the case.”

Niall sighed. “People are so damn terrified, they’re starting to believe in just about anything.”

Louis shrugged, popping another piece of candy in his mouth. “Irrational fear tends to make you do that.”

“I wouldn’t expect _you_ to be afraid,” Niall said. “You and that monster seem to have a friendship going.”

Louis laughed. “I wouldn’t say that we have a friendship. You know, the more I think about that moment, the more I just can’t believe that that gentle giant would harm a soul. It didn’t try to kill Shane, it just chased him off and… stayed with me and let me pet it. It’s like it was trying to comfort me, to make sure that I was alright. It’s mannerisms, it’s _eyes..._ it almost reminded of a…” Louis trailed off, momentarily spacing out as he was beginning to come to a strange conclusion. “Human.”

Niall raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re starting to buy the whole wolfman theory.”

Instead of scoffing and vigorously promising that that wasn’t the case, Louis just shrugged and ate another piece of candy.

~

Harry and Louis were wrapped up in a quilt on the bearskin rug. The fireplace was warming Louis’ front and Harry’s body was warming his back. The snow was falling heavily outside, preventing Louis from going home at the time he originally planned to go, but he was calm. He knew that Niall would cover for him like he always did. Harry placed a light kiss on Louis’ cheek and stroked his hand. Louis looked up at him and smiled.

“You feel good?” Harry asked.

“Yeah,” Louis sighed, pressing a kiss to Harry’s cheek. “feeling warm.”

Harry stared down at Louis, gently running his fingers through his hair. Louis stared back at him, his breath suddenly escaping him. He knew what Harry wanted. He could tell by the mesmerized look in his eyes. Eventually, Harry leaned down and connected their lips in a gentle kiss. The longer the kiss continued, the more it strayed away from innocent and into an erotic mixture of tongues, lips, and sharp breaths. Harry pulled away from Louis’ lips only to plant kisses from his jaw to his collarbones. Louis’ hands got lost in Harry’s hair as he sucked bruises into his skin. He moved back up to Louis’ face, and started to play with the top button of his shirt. His eyes seemed to be glowing, but Louis just chalked that up to the harsh glow of the fire reflecting off them.

“I want to become closer to you,” Harry said, slowly unbuttoning Louis’ shirt. “Will you allow me to do that?”

Without another thought, Louis nodded, prompting Harry to completely unbutton his shirt and cover his chest in colorful bruises and light kisses. Louis bit his lip to hold back an embarrassing whine when Harry harshly ran his tongue across one of his nipples.

“Don’t be fucking quiet,” Harry growled. “When I say that I want to become closer to you, I mean that I want to know _every_ intimate part of you. That includes the noises you make when you feel good. I want to hear it all, so don’t hold back.”

“You’re trying to make a mess out of me,” Louis whimpered. “And I don’t appreciate it.”

Harry laughed. “How can you say that when we’ve only just begun?”

Louis didn’t say anything in response to that, he just closed his eyes and let his body go limp. In that moment, he was giving his body, his heart, and his entire being to Harry, who began taking it as if it all had always been rightfully his. Louis sat up in order to slip off his shirt and laid back down so Harry could remove him of his trousers and underwear. Louis’ skin was flushed and felt hot to the touch. He was more than happy for Harry to be the first person to see him in his most vulnerable state. He would never allow that honor to go to anyone else but him. Harry’s breaths were shaky as he loomed over Louis and stared at his body. He was analyzing every curve, every birthmark, and every inch of delicate, soft skin that his eyes could see.

Louis looked away, a blush painting his cheeks. “Are you just going to stare at me all night?”

Instantly, Harry covered Louis’ entire body with his and started covering his chest with more bruises. Louis sighed at the feeling of Harry running his rough tongue along the length of his neck and kissing along his collarbones. His breathing became erratic when Harry’s hips started rocking into his.

“You want to be closer, right?” Louis gasped, enjoying the friction. “How about you remove your trousers. I – _ah_ – want us to be as close as possible.”

Harry pulled back to remove his shirt and trousers, throwing a wink at Louis as he stared shamelessly at him. Louis covered his face with his arms. Harry chuckled as he leaned back down and removed Louis’ arms from his face.

“It’s ok,” Harry assured. “It’s alright.”

He kissed the corner of Louis’ mouth before he molded their lips together. He once again started to rock his hips against Louis’, rubbing their hardened cocks together. Louis’ entire body was trembling at the foreign feeling, the _pleasure_ taking over his body. His mind was foggy, his body was tingling, and his skin felt like it was burning.

Harry hitched Louis’ leg around his waist and quickened the pace of his grinding. The frantic rise and fall of Louis’ chest, the low grunts that were slipping through Harry’s lips, and the devastating speed of Harry’s movements all came together to make the moment so _intoxicating_.

“Enough,” Louis choked out. “I want – I need-”

“I know.” Harry growled. Quickly, he removed himself from Louis and momentarily disappeared in his bedroom. He came back out with a bottle of oil.

“What’s that for?” Louis asked, instinctively pressing his thighs together as Harry sat down in between his legs. Harry gripped Louis’ thighs and gently opened him back up for Harry.

“You don’t want me to go in dry, do you?” Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. Louis looked away from Harry, feeling embarrassed for what had to be the thousandth time that night.

“P-Please be gentle.” Louis whispered.

Harry’s eyes softened. “There’s no other way I’d treat you, darling.”

He motioned for Louis to sit up and Louis wordlessly obeyed, his heart quickening at the fact that this was really happening. He was about to physically give himself to someone that he cared so deeply for. The blush that covered Louis’ body managed to deepen when Harry lifted him up and made him straddle his lap. Harry ran his hands up and down Louis’ body, occasionally pausing to press light kisses all over his chest. Soft, raspy moans were escaping Louis as Harry once again ran his tongue along Louis’ nipples. Suddenly, an oiled finger started to rub at Louis’ entrance, making him flinch. He held on to Harry’s shoulders, his body freezing as the finger sunk all the way inside of him.

“Is this ok?” Harry asked. “Are you good?”

“I’m good,” Louis panted. “Just – _Christ_!” Louis rested his head on Harry’s shoulder as Harry’s finger started to pump in and out of him. Soon, One finger slowly opening him up turned into three fringers frantically hitting his prostate. Louis’ eyes were squeezed shut, desperate whimpers were escaping his parted lips, and his arms were wrapped around Harry’s neck.

“You’re really living up to your name right now,” Harry chuckled, his voice rough with desire. “Look at you. Your skin is just as red as your cape, and it’s all because of me. I’m the only one who can see you like this.” He pressed a kiss on Louis’ jaw. “And you’re the only one who gets to drive me this insane.”

Louis didn’t say a thing. Every time he structured a response in his mind, the feeling of Harry’s fingers against his prostate seemed to punch it out of his mind. Eventually, Harry’s fingers slipped out of Louis, causing him to whine at the sudden emptiness.

Harry chuckled. “Patience, love.”

He laid Louis down on the bearskin rug and placed himself in between Louis’ legs. He poured more oil onto his fingers and rubbed it up and down his stiff cock. He stared into Louis’ gorgeous blue eyes, which were dark with lust but held a certain layer of innocence that Harry couldn’t wait to get rid of. Without much warning, Harry began to sink his cock inside of Louis.

“ _God_ ,” Louis whimpered, holding onto Harry’s biceps. It wasn’t the most pleasant feeling at first. It stung like hell, but Louis just bit his lip, squeezed his eyes shut, and held on to Harry as if he was a lifeline. He knew that Harry was going to make him feel good, that he had to go through the pain in order to get to the pleasure. Harry gritted his teeth as Louis’ tight hole slowly sunk him in, his brain feeling disconnected from his entire body. When he was fully seated inside of Louis, he sighed and buried his face in Louis’ neck.

“Are you alright?” Harry asked, placing a kiss on Louis’ neck. “Is it ok if I move?”

Louis gave a deep, shaky sigh before he nodded. “Please.”

Harry slowly grinded forward and groaned at the warm friction. He hitched Louis’ leg around his waist and started to thrust inside of Louis. The slow, intimate pace that Harry set was good at first, but soon started to become much too little for him. He wanted more, so much more. He gripped Louis’ waist and went at a faster pace, though it was obvious that he was still holding back. He was assaulting Louis’ prostate and knocking the air out of Louis’ lungs. Louis was writhing, his head was thrown back, and his loud moans were filling the entire space.

“Fuck,” Harry panted. “Fuck, you feel so good. I can’t continue at this pace, I just can’t.”

Louis bit his lip and ran his hand through Harry’s hair. “Then let go.”

From that point forward, Harry seemed to be everything but human. His movements were animalistic, the words that came out of his mouth made Louis feel embarrassed but so unbelievably desired, and Harry’s sharp canines kept digging into Louis’ skin, marking Louis as his and only his. It wasn’t long before Louis pulled Harry’s hair and came with a long, drawn-out moan. Harry soon followed, his body trembling and his fingers leaving harsh bruises on Louis’ waist.

Harry rolled off Louis and laid beside him on the rug, trying to catch his breath. Louis gasped at the feeling of Harry’s release leaking out of him. It felt weird but it also felt strangely satisfying. He turned over to rest his head on Harry’s chest and laced their fingers together. Harry’s steady breathing and the rise and fall of his chest was slowly lulling Louis to sleep.

“I love you.” Harry muttered, squeezing Louis to his side.

Even though he was both physically and mentally exhausted, Louis managed to slur out a barely audible, “I love you, too.”

Harry heard him loud and clear.

~

Harry woke up the next morning with a huge smile on his face. There was a pleasant ache in his bones and he felt warm enough to melt all the snow in the entire forest. However, something felt... off. An overwhelming feeling of _dread_ was filling his body and he didn’t know why. All he knew was that he needed to find Harry. He put his clothes back on, got up from the rug, and went into the kitchen. Harry wasn’t there and there was nothing cooking on the stove. He looked out the window and froze when he saw Harry. He was staring at the cottage, his skin pale, his body trembling, and his expression blank.

Now worried, Louis slipped on his hooded cape, threw open the front door and ran to Harry, not caring that his bare feet were exposed to the snow. When he reached him, Louis placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Harry?” Louis’ voice was timid as he tried to get Harry’s attention. “Harry, love, are you ok? What’s wrong?”

Harry stayed silent, his blank expression not wavering as he stared right past Louis. Louis’ eyebrows furrowed as he turned around to see what Harry was looking at. At first, he didn’t see anything. To him, the cottage looked the same as it always did. But eventually, he noticed it. There were words carved right above the front door.

 

_God is watching_

 

“Harry,” Louis whispered. “Wh-What’s going on? Who did this?”

Harry finally looked at Louis, his expression cold. “You need to leave.”

Louis’ eyes widened. “What? But Harry-”

“Now!” Harry shouted. “Leave and never come back. Stay in the village. Don’t come back in the forest!”

Louis was starting to get angry. “What the hell is your problem?”

“Louis-”

“I am _not_ leaving until you tell me what’s going on.”

“Please-”

“Harry, I refuse to be kept in the dark. Tell me what’s going on right now.”

“Shut up!”

“Don’t yell at me!”

“Leave!”

Louis’ skin paled when Harry’s eyes suddenly started to glow. This time, he couldn’t blame it on bright flames coming from a fireplace. He gasped when Harry’s canines grew longer and sharper.

“H-Harry?”

Harry crouched down on all fours and suddenly, his bones started to crack and hair started to grow all over his body. Louis’ entire body froze as the man before him started to morph into a huge, feral beast. Eventually, the only thing Louis could see was the same wolf he had seen over a month ago. The beast slowly stalked towards him and paused. Louis’ breath was caught in his lungs and his heart was beating like crazy. There was a brief moment where he thought that he was still asleep, that he would soon wake up with Harry’s arms wrapped around his chest, that Harry would make him a cup of _Louis’ kiss_ and make love to him until the morning slowly melted into the afternoon. However, this wasn’t a nightmare. This was the reality that Louis was going to have a pretty fucking hard time accepting.

Louis covered his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. “Please change back, please change back, please change back.” He kept on saying those words, but they didn’t change a thing. The wolf was still standing before him. Louis couldn’t hold back the tears that spilled down his face. “Oh, God. Please change back, please change back. Harry, please!”

The wolf recoiled at that, looking as if he was genuinely in pain. The ache in Louis’ chest suddenly multiplied into something downright  _agonizing_. He placed his hands over his chest and sunk down to his knees.

“Was it you?!” Louis shouted. “Did you murder all those people? The McPhersons… Bette… _Doug_. Was it all you?!”

Louis yelped as the pain in his chest intensified. The wolf was still for a moment before he lunged forward. Louis screamed as it landed on top of him, growling in his face.

“Don’t hurt me.” Louis muttered, his voice barely audible.

The wolf’s expression was clearly one of sorrow, pain, and deep regret. Louis reached a hand out towards the wolf's muzzle.

“Harry,” he whispered. “Please.”

The wolf forced himself to lift his paw and slash at Louis, tearing at the bottom of his hooded cape. Louis screamed as he crawled from under the beast, got up, and ran away from the cottage. His bare feet felt like they were going to fall off from being exposed to the snow, his head ached, and his heart was completely shattered, but he didn’t slow down or look back. He ran far away from both the beast and the man that he loved.


	4. Watched

Ever since Louis ran away from Harry and refused to look back, there had been constant aches in his chest that would come in waves. Sometimes it was a dull ache, sometimes it was a slight pinch, and sometimes it felt like someone was trying to rip his ribcage apart. They would either come out of nowhere or when his mind strayed back to Harry. He often thought about Harry’s warmth, Harry’s cottage, Harry’s body against him when they made love… it all made him want to scream until those memories were knocked out of his mind. He wanted that monster to leave the space he created in Louis' heart, but he knew that was impossible. Whether he liked it or not, he’d always remember Harry. The mark he made in Louis' very soul would never fade.

_“Murderer, murderer, murderer. The man you love is a murderer!”_

Those kind of thoughts were spinning around in Louis’ skull, making him feel nauseous, as he picked at his food. He and his family were all eating dinner in tense silence. He didn’t want to believe it, he couldn’t believe it. Harry was such a gentle soul. The thought of him consciously taking someone's life was unfathomable to Louis.

_“Be honest with yourself. He killed the McPhersons, Bette, Doug… you’re lucky he didn’t kill you.”_

Louis squeezed his eyes shut when another wave of pain crashed into his chest. The worst part of this unbelievably insane situation, was that Louis couldn’t tell anyone about it, not even Niall. If he did, he would’ve been lobed in the same group as John Marshall and all the other loons of the village. Everyone was worried about Louis, but no one would believe what was hanging so heavily on his heart, and honestly, it only hurt him more. He had to fight the pain and come to terms with what happened by himself.

When dinner was over, Mark, Charlotte, and Felicite all went to bed. Jay told Louis to stay behind and help her with the dishes. She washed, he dried. After five minutes of silently cleaning dirty dish after dirty dish, Jay finally cracked.

“Alright, what’s wrong?” she asked, her expression strict but wary.

Her worry for her son was starting to take up all the space in her mind. The Louis that everyone was familiar with was the embodiment of sunshine who took life by the horns and charged forward, not the dark cloud that floated around as if existing was a chore.

Louis sighed. “Nothing’s wrong.”

Jay shook her head. “Eighteen years and you still think you can lie to me.” A beat passed before she spoke again. “I won’t pry. If you’re anything like me, you’ll just fight me every step of the way.” Louis couldn’t help but crack a smile at that. “Just know that I’m all ears, ok? No matter what’s going on right now, I’m here to help you get through it to the best of my ability. You can take the time to wrap your head around whatever happened, but when you’re ready to spill your guts, I want you to come to me. I’m your mother, Louis. I'll always be here for you.”

Louis was silent for a while, investing an unreasonable amount of focus on washing one dish, before he finally spoke. “If you could peek into my mind right now, you would see that everything is a huge mess. I’m just… really confused and hurt and heartbroken and _pissed_ a-and-”

He didn’t realize he was crying until Jay dropped a dish and wrapped her arms around him. In that moment, he was no longer a man, he was a small child crying on his mother’s shoulder and he didn’t feel one ounce of shame about it.

“It’s ok, my darling,” Jay murmured, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “It’s just you and me. Let it all out.”

~

After a full week of refusing to leave his home, Louis was kicked out by his mother for an entire afternoon to get some fresh air.

“Hang out with Niall, take a walk around Addy Park, buy something from the marketplace, just take some time for yourself right now. You can’t stay cooped up in the house.” She said.

Reluctantly, Louis shrugged on his hooded cape, carefully hiding its tear from Jay’s eyes, and started walking to God knows where. He thought about visiting Niall since the poor guy kept coming around to Louis’ place to see if he was ok, but the thought of being around other people wasn’t really intriguing to Louis, not at this moment. Instead, he decided to take a walk around Addy Park, a field that was only a mile away from the village. Louis loved to go there in the spring and pick the different assortments of flowers, watch the clouds, and let the sun warm his face. He could appreciate the park during the winter, too. The sunlight reflecting off the freshly fallen snow and the icicles that artfully hung from the gazebo, benches, and statues made the field look like a winter wonderland.

As Louis sat on the rail of the gazebo, swinging his feet and resting his head on a post, he stared out at the lightly populated park, his mind playing a thousand memories a minute. He found it pathetic how the snow could make his chest ache. It only reminded him of how the pure white contrasted with Harry’s frostbitten cheeks and dark pink lips. Louis squeezed his eyes shut to keep a new wave of tears from falling. He was always good at keeping his cool and letting things just roll off his back, but then Harry came along, built a home in his heart, and then destroyed everything inside.

“Damn him,” He whispered to himself. “Damn him, damn him, _damn him_.”

“Damn who?”

Louis flinched and opened his eyes to see Shane staring warily at him. Louis rolled his eyes with a resentful huff. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with Shane.

“Please be kind,” Louis said, his voice low and raspy. “I’m just… not in the mood right now. Please be kind to me.”

Shane furrowed his eyebrows. “I’m always kind to you. There’s no other way I’d be towards you, my sweet.”

_“There’s no other way I’d treat you, darling.”_

Louis found himself squeezing his eyes shut again. “Go away, Shane.”

To Louis’ annoyance, Shane stepped closer to him and placed his hand on Louis’ thigh. Louis tried moving away from the touch which only made Shane’s grip tighten.

“How can I go away when you’re so visibly upset?” Shane asked.

Louis shook his head. “You’re only making me feel worst. Please go away.”

“Hey,” Shane snapped, stepping closer and grabbing Louis' jaw. His body was blocking Louis from any wondering eyes. “Look, love, I realize that I may not be the ideal guy for you, but you’re just gonna have to deal with the fact that in just a couple more months, I’ll be your _life_.”

“Fuck you.” Louis hissed.

“Oh, we’ll be doing _plenty_ of that when we wed.” Shane chuckled.

Louis didn’t take the time to think over his next action, he just did it. He gathered all the moisture in his mouth and spat in Shane’s face.

“I wouldn’t suggest forcing anything on me,” Louis said monotonously. “I bite pretty fucking hard.”

With a grimace, Shane removed his hands from Louis, took a handkerchief out of his pocket, and wiped the spit from his face. “Why can’t you just accept me?”

Louis laughed bitterly. “You disgust me. I’ll _never_ accept you.”

Shane shook his head as he stepped back into Louis’ space. His right hand held down Louis’ wrists while his left hand firmly gripped Louis' neck and held his head against the post. Louis sighed, not even having the energy to feel afraid. To his shock and horror, Shane suddenly leaned in and pressed their lips together. He tried to wiggle out of Shane’s grip, but he was too strong. He effortlessly held Louis in place and took his lips as if they were rightfully his. Without another thought or a moment of hesitation, Louis opened his mouth and bit down as hard as he could on Shane’s bottom lip. The acrid taste of blood filled his mouth as Shane flinched away with a loud yelp.

“Goddammit!” Shane shouted, drawing the attention of everyone else in the park. He looked around and instantly gathered his composure when he noticed the stares. “Um, lovely day, isn’t it?”

Louis rolled his eyes as people replied politely, acting like Shane’s sudden outburst didn’t happen. Being a part of the richest family in the village certainly did have its perks. After everyone went back to their business, Shane once again stepped closer to Louis and grabbed his wrist.

“I swear to God I’ll break you down until you are the _perfect_ spouse.” Shane spat.

Louis bit his quivering lip. “Six years. You’ve been doing this for six years and nothing has changed. I don’t want you, I’ve never wanted you, and I never will want you, so why are you doing this? Do you realize how many people would kill to be yours? Why chase after a man who can’t stand the very thought of you?”

“You are the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever seen,” Shane answered. “Do you not notice how everyone looks at you? Out of everyone in the village, you are the most desirable, therefore I have to have you as mine.”

Louis scoffed. “You’re talking about me as if I’m an object. This is one of the main issues with you. I’m nothing more than a possession to you.”

“You’re much more than a possession.” Shane insisted.

“Then tell me how you feel,” Louis demanded. “What do you love about me? And I don’t want to hear one word about my looks.”

“How ridiculous,” Shane scoffed. “You know how I feel. I’ve made it clear that I love-”

“You don’t know the meaning of the word, you bastard!” Louis yelled, his tone bitter.

Shane instantly put his hand over Louis’ mouth. “Such a sharp tongue.”

“Hey!”

Shane flinched away from Louis at the harsh yell. They both turned their heads to see a young, brunet standing at the entryway of the gazebo. His dark brown eyes were harsh as they fixed themselves on Shane.

“Is everything alright?” The man asked.

“Everything’s fine, my good man,” Shane answered politely. It amazed Louis how quickly Shane could switch from an arrogant jackass to the gentlemen that the village knew and loved. “I was just leaving.” He shifted his gaze to Louis and grinned. “See you later, sweetheart.”

Louis grimaced at that. With a courteous nod in the man’s direction, Shane gave Louis a kiss on the cheek and walked out of the gazebo.

“Was he giving you any trouble?” The man asked, approaching Louis.

“Yeah,” Louis sighed. “But that’s nothing unusual.”

The man just stared at Louis, his eyes analyzing every inch of his body, before he spoke again. “My name’s Liam.”

Louis nodded and gave him a small smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Liam. My name’s Louis, but most people call me Red.”

“Because of the dramatic looking cape?” Liam asked humorously.

Louis laughed before he placed his hand on his hip and threw his head back. “Why yes. Of course.” He said in a posh tone.

Liam grinned. “That’s a gorgeous cape. Do you plan on fixing the tear?”

Louis shrugged. “Eventually,” He tenderly ran his fingers along the tear, which was right next to Harry’s careful stitching, his expression thoughtful. “Thank you for stepping in.”

“No problem, Red,” Liam said. “Just think of me as your personal creep repellent.”

“Well then you and I are gonna get along just fine,” Louis said through a small chuckle. “I’ve never seen you around before. Are you new here?”

“I’ve been here for a while,” Liam answered. “I just don’t like getting out of the house that often.”

Louis’ eyebrows furrowed. “Why?”

“I don’t particularly enjoy being around people.”

“Understandable.”

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence. Liam was leaning against the rail while Louis had his head rested against the post, swinging his feet back and forth. The sun was slowly setting behind the distant mountains, leaving the sky in a haze of pastel pink and purple. The laughter of children and young adults playing in the snow, the soft yet frigid breeze, and the smell of pine trees filled Louis’ senses in the best way. He felt an odd sense of peace. Not the kind of peace that overcame him whenever he was around Harry, but the kind that made the ache in his chest somewhat bearable.

“Have you ever been in love, Liam?” Louis asked.

Liam’s eyebrows raised at that. “Why do you ask?”

Louis shrugged. “I don’t know. Just thought I’d ask.”

Liam’s moment of silence made Louis’ blood run cold. He was afraid that he asked something that he probably shouldn’t have. However, Liam just gave him a simple answer in a tone of voice that was nothing but warm and welcoming.

“Yes, I was in love once.”

“What happened?”

A beat passed before Liam spoke. “They fell out of love with me.”

Louis bit his lip as his eyes started to water. “Did you think it would last forever? That this person was, you know, the one?”

“God, I did,” Liam answered through a bitter laugh. “Fell pretty damn hard even though I knew I couldn’t have them. Our potential future together would play through my mind like a dream, like…”

“A beautiful fantasy that could never be?” Louis interrupted.

Liam looked at Louis with wide eyes. “Exactly.”

Louis sniffed as tears fell freely down his face. He felt weak. He felt like an overdramatic infant for crying in front of a stranger. However, there was a certain feeling of comfort that came with this particular stranger. His presence was like a warm hug.

“Hey,” Liam breathed, placing his hand over Louis’ “None of that. Look, I don’t know your situation, but I do know that you will overcome it. There are things that we want to have, but life just… won’t let us have it and that’s unfortunate. It’s a common struggle for us as human beings. However, when we’re faced with that struggle, we have to choose between two things. Fight like hell for what you want or just let it go, work with what you have, and move on to another slice of happiness. Cheesy, I know, but it’s the God honest truth.”

Louis sighed. “Is there a third option?”

Liam shook his head with a grin. “Nope.”

Liam wiped Louis' eyes, making Louis' cheeks flush with embarrassment. “Sorry.”

Liam waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry, man. I just hope I was able to supply just a little bit of comfort.”

“To be honest, you did,” Louis said. “I don’t feel completely ok, but I feel like I can manage, you know?”

Liam nodded in understanding. “Yeah. You know, it’s not every day you get phenomenal counselling from a kind stranger in the park. You should feel lucky.”

Louis scoffed. “What a humble man you are.”

Liam shrugged. “It’s one of my best qualities.”

~

Louis didn’t see Liam again in the following week after the park incident, but his words were insistently buzzing around Louis’ head. His situation was far from the realm of sanity and left a tear in his heart that could never be fully repaired, but he was prepared to move on from it. He was prepared to let it go, work with what he had, and move on to another slice of happiness. He and Niall were finally hanging out again, he didn’t mope as much around the house, he began to go out more, and Shane was as persistent as always. Everything, for the most part, began to turn back to normal. However, there was one change that stuck out to everyone who knew Louis best. He didn’t go anywhere near the forest.

_God is watching_

Louis was lying on his bed, his sisters softly snoring in the bed beside him, and mulled over those words. Ever since the shock of what happened subsided, those three words kept mixing together in a flurry of random letters in Louis’ head. He wondered who carved that message, what the message could possibly mean, why Harry seemed so afraid, why he… _attacked_ _Louis_.

Louis swallowed a huge lump that was growing in his throat and sighed. He hated being so emotional, but his heart was way too frigid to allow himself the luxury of having stable emotions.

_God is watching._

_God. Is. Watching._

“What on earth does that mean?” Louis whispered to himself.

“Lou?”

Louis turned his head to see Felicite staring at him, her eyes squinty and exhausted.

“Did I wake you?” Louis asked.

She shook her head. “Nope. Why do you keep saying those words? It’s kind of scaring me.”

Louis’ eyebrows furrowed. “What words?”

“God is watching.” She answered, and somehow, the words sounded a lot more chilling when they came from someone else’s mouth.

“I thought I was talking to myself.” Louis said sheepishly.

“Well, you weren’t.”

“I know that now.”

“So, why do you keep saying it?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Felicite frowned. “That seems to be your answer to everything these days, that it’s none of our business. But you know what, Louis? It is my business. When your smiles aren’t genuine and you cry yourself to sleep most nights, it starts being my business. What’s going on?”

Louis sighed. “To be honest, I’m still trying to figure that out.”

Thinking that Louis’ response was just a way to get out of answering the question, she rolled her eyes and turned away from him. “I want to help you. I may be young, but I understand more than you might think I do.”

Louis had zero doubts in the intelligence of his sisters, but he was in an unrealistic situation that he didn’t quite know how to explain. He wanted to explain this to Felicite, to make her understand, but he was much too tired, physically and mentally, to do so.

~

Louis had the entire cabin to himself. His parents went out to enjoy a nice, romantic dinner that would most likely be filled with tension, and his sisters were having a sleepover with their friends. Louis was left alone with leftovers from the previous night, a lit-up fireplace, and a good book that he could read in total silence.

He was enjoying all three of those luxuries on the couch when he heard a loud knock. He froze in his place, his eyes zeroing in on the front door. He sat in silence for a moment before he was startled by another knock, this one a lot louder than the last. He took a deep, shaky breath before he put his book down, got up, and approached the door.

“Who is it?” He asked. He was answered by another round of obnoxious knocking. “State your name and your business!”

A beat passed before the door started to get rammed into. It seemed like the person behind it was just flinging their body against it, trying to knock it down and force their way inside. The hinges were starting to give under the constant abuse.

“Go away!” Louis shouted, slowly backing away from the door. “I have a gun! I’ll kill you where you stand!”

“Louis!”

Louis froze at the sudden, recognizable voice. “Zayn?”

He received no answer, so he slowly approached the door and placed his ear against it. He could hear heavy, sporadic breathing and gasping. He unlocked the door and opened it just a tiny bit. He gasped when he saw Zayn clutching the blood-soaked material of his shirt. He instantly threw the door open and wordlessly guided Zayn inside. He helped Zayn lay down on the couch, being extra careful not to mess with his wound.

“What happened?” Louis asked, leaving the room the get a wet rag and the first aid kit.

Zayn couldn’t speak, he was only capable of taking deep, wheezing breaths and small coughs. Louis came back in the room with the appropriate items and kneeled beside Zayn. He took off Zayn’s shirt and almost vomited at the angry, deep scar across his abdomen. It seemed to be pulsing as blood was gushing out of it at an alarming rate. Louis took a deep breath before he placed the wet rag against the wound. Zayn flinched at that and gave a small, choked off sob.

“I’ll be gentle,” Louis whispered. “You’re in good hands, my friend. My mother works as a nurse. She taught me everything she knows. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

Zayn nodded, reaching a hand down to squeeze Louis’ unoccupied hand. Louis squeezed back. He got to work on tending to Zayn’s wound, washing it, disinfecting it, and covering it with gauze. Zayn’s body convulsed and tensed up as Louis did his work with gentle, steady hands. After he was done, Louis went in the kitchen and came back out with a glass of water and another wet rag.

“Drink just a little bit to help the dryness in your throat,” Louis instructed. He helped Zayn prop his head up with a throw pillow before placing the rim of the glass against his lips. As instructed, Zayn only took a few small sips of the water, letting out a grateful sigh. They sat in complete silence as Louis carefully dabbed Zayn’s face with the cool, wet rag.

“Can you tell me what happened, or do you need more time?” Louis asked.

Zayn gave a deep sigh. “Harry-”

“Harry did this?!” Louis shouted, jumping to his feet. “Oh, God. I can’t-”

“Lou!” Zayn interrupted indignantly. “It wasn’t Harry!”

Louis was silent for a moment. His heart was beating out of control from the sudden panic and his head was reeling.

“I-It wasn’t Harry,” He breathed. “Alright.”

Zayn pursed his lips as he studied Louis’ expression. “You know, don’t you?”

“About what?”

“What we are.”

Louis eyes widened as he slowly backed away from Zayn. “We? Y-You’re a-”

Zayn rolled his eyes and turned on his side, wincing at the pain in his abdomen. “Lou, I’m not gonna hurt you, ok? And Harry wouldn’t hurt you either.”

Louis scoffed. “ _Sure,_ he wouldn’t.”

Zayn looked puzzled. “Did he-”

“So it was you and Harry then?” Louis scoffed. “You two have some kind of unquenchable blood lust? I guess savages can’t help that, huh?”

Zayn’s teeth clenched. “We are _not_ savages.”

“You’re animals!” Louis shouted. “Animals that kill innocent people!”

Zayn shook his head, now trying to sit upright. “Louis, you don’t understand. We-”

“I don’t _need_ to understand,” Louis sneered. “Get out.”

Zayn raised an eyebrow. “You're gonna kick me out in the cold with this wound?”

“You should be used to being outside and fending for yourself.” Louis said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Zayn maintained eye contact with Louis as he slowly laid back down on the couch. “I’ll leave in just a second. Just give me time.”

“No,” Louis spat. “Leave now.”

“I will leave in just a second.”

“No, Zayn, leave now!”

Louis gasped when Zayn turned his head, revealing the harsh yellow glow of his eyes. “I will leave in just one fucking moment.”

The silence between them was more deafening than any siren or instrument. It penetrated Louis’ very soul and created tension so thick that it was almost suffocating. After a painfully slow ten minutes, Zayn, to Louis’ shock, sat upright with ease. He unwrapped the gauze from his abdomen, revealing a faint pink scar where the deep wound use to be.

Louis closed his eyes. “This is all just a nightmare. A very long, convoluted nightmare that I will wake up from at any minute.”

“Louis-”

“None of this is real,” Louis continued. “When I wake up… I’ll go to Harry’s cabin,” he released a choked laugh at that. “And we’ll have a good laugh over all of this.” Louis started to laugh like a madman, bending over and grasping the material of his shirt. Soon, the laughter dissolved into sobbing and low whimpers. “We’ll laugh and laugh until we can’t breathe!"

Louis heard footsteps approaching and instantly opened his eyes and got to his feet. Zayn was standing a couple feet away from him, his hands raised defensively.

“Leave,” Louis ordered.

“Louis, let me-”

“Go away!”

Zayn didn’t have any desire to leave. He wanted to stay and tell Louis every single thing that he wanted to tell, but he knew that Louis wouldn’t listen, he’d just yell and scream and block out every single thing Zayn would say. Wordlessly, Zayn put his shirt back on and left the room with a mumbled, “Just stay away from the forest.”

Louis heard the front door slam shut just a few seconds later.

~

Louis’ 19th birthday and Christmas came and went in a flash. He received the same gifts he always got, fuzzy slippers, knitted sweaters, and chocolate. Every resident of the village continued their daily lives with underlying tension filling the air. There hadn’t been a wolf incident since the murder of Doug Carlisle and everyone was on edge.

_“Maybe it’s gone.”_

_“Maybe someone killed it.”_

_“Maybe it wants to co-exist with us in peace.”_

Those were the most common theories that floated around, raising more questions than answers. Louis felt guilty for being the only one who knew the truth, who knew that the monster that terrorized the village was the object of his undying affection. This was a reality that he still couldn’t face.

At the beginning of January, the winter weather was still as harsh it always was. Everything was pure white, the air was freezing, and the sky was gray, only occasionally being painted with pastel colors that reflected _so heavenly_ off the snow.

On an especially gray afternoon, Louis and his family were all lounging around the living room. Jay was reading a book that was on the cusp of falling apart, Felicite was knitting a scarf, Charlotte was writing in her journal, Mark was snoozing softly on the couch, and Louis was just sitting on the armchair, staring blankly at everyone before him.

The aches in Louis’ chest were still persisting and he knew better than to chalk it up to health problems. However, he grew to become numb to it. It seemed as if the sharp, sudden aches had eroded away every single nerve in his body, which made him feel like he was a walking corpse, that he was a spirit inside a cold human vessel. He never thought for a moment that he would instantly get over Harry and move on as if the man hadn’t seen every vulnerable piece of him, but he also didn’t think that he’d still feel so hollow a month after the incident. And honestly, that made him so angry that he could scream until his lungs gave out. Harry was a monster, a vicious _murderer_. Louis should be completely disgusted by the thought of him, but he just couldn’t shake him from his mind.

“Lou,”

At the sound of Jay’s voice, Louis was instantly snapped out of his internal meltdown. “Yes, mother?”

“I made cinnamon raisin bread for your grandmother,” she said. “Can you take it to her?”

Louis’ emotions were an odd mixture of shock and relief. He felt _shock_ due to the fact that Jay was telling him to do something that involved going in the forest after God knows how long. He felt _relief_ due to the fact that the lack of wolf incidents were clearly starting to put her mind at ease. He hated seeing his mother so worried. Not because her worry interfered with what he wanted to do, but because _her_ distress was _his_ distress.

Louis should feel overjoyed for being allowed to go in the forest, but all he felt was fear, an intense level of fear that made him feel light headed.

_“Leave and never come back. Stay in the village. Don’t come back in the forest!”_

_“Just stay away from the forest.”_

Those warnings were banging pots and pans in Louis’ head, protesting to be heeded. One of the main things on Louis’ mind was one singular question: Why can't he go in the forest? Louis was wondering what he would face if he stepped one foot in there, what danger awaited him. He was confused about everything that was going on, but he knew one thing for sure. If any kind of danger came, it would come from whoever carved that message on Harry’s cottage. He was worried, beyond worried, but he couldn’t voice that without confessing to his acts of defiance.

“Sure,” Louis answered. “I haven’t seen grandmother in a while. It would be lovely to pay her a visit.”

With that, Louis got up from his chair, tugged on his boots, and covered himself with his hooded cape. Jay handed him a basket containing the sweet-smelling bread and sent him on his way.

As Louis cut through the marketplace, masterfully avoiding all the places Shane frequented, he felt his nerves kick in. An overwhelming mixture of fear and caution overtook his mind and caused him to constantly look over his shoulder. He was being watched.


	5. Cold

With every step Louis took through the forest, he could feel his body getting more and more tense. His ears grew sensitive to every sound from the snow crunching underneath his boots to the subtle wind that blew through the trees. He could feel eyes burning into the back of his skull, but he couldn’t _see_ anyone. At some point, he just chalked it up to paranoia, an irrational fear created by Harry and Zayn’s words that caused him to imagine something that didn’t exist. However, he still found himself unconsciously looking over his shoulder.

After walking two and a half miles, Louis finally saw his grandmother’s cabin. It was a quaint little thing with a stone pathway that led to the front door, a white fence surrounding it, a myriad of small statues that decorated the lawn, and a chimney that constantly had smoke billowing from it. As always, the strong aroma of gingerbread and caramel hit Louis’ nose before he even walked up the pathway. His grandmother always kept the door unlocked, so he just opened the door, grimacing at the squeaky sound of the hinges, and peeked inside.

“Grandmother?” He called. He received no answer.

Curious, Louis entered the cabin and shut the door behind him. Everything was normal and nothing seemed to be out of place. He checked the kitchen and the living room, constantly calling out for her, before approaching her bedroom.

“Hello?” He called. “Grandmother, are you in there?”

With sweaty palms and a heart that was beating a mile a minute, he grasped the door knob and swung it open, leaving no time for him to hesitate. Against the sheer curtains of the canopy bed, he could see blankets covering a human sized lump. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Grandmother,” He whispered. “are you awake?”

“Yes, little lamb.” She answered, her voice low and gravelly.

Ever since Louis was born, his grandmother always called him _little lamb_. She thought of the adorable nickname because his soft babbling reminded her of what a lamb sounds like.

Louis’ eyebrows furrowed. “Are you ok? You sound a little… different.”

“Oh, I just came down with a little cold. Nothing to worry about. What brings you around here, sweetheart?”

“Mother made you your favorite!” Louis answered, cradling the basket.

She gave an over exaggerated gasp. “Oh, really? How wonderful.”

“Can you guess what it is?” Louis asked, giddily swaying side to side like a child.

A long silence passed before she answered. “Um, cookies. Your mother’s _scrumptious_ cookies.”

Louis’ eyebrows raised. “Um, no.”

A beat passed before she spoke again. “Oh, you know I’m just joking, dear. Can’t an old lady have a little bit of fun?”

“Uh… Of course.” Louis answered, getting a strong feeling that something was horribly off.

“Come closer, love,” She ordered. “I’d get up, but I feel awfully weak at the moment.”

Louis frowned. “Would you like me to make you some soup while I’m here?”

“That won’t be necessary, lamb,” She answered. “Please come here.”

Puzzled, Louis approached the bed and kneeled down beside it. His grandmother was faced away from him and her sleeping cap covered her head. His eyes widened when he took in just how _different_ his grandmother looked.

He swallowed a growing lump in his throat. “Wow, grandmother. What big arms you have.”

“Uh, a-all the better to hold you my dear.”

Louis silently got up, careful to not make the floorboards squeak under his weight, and began to back away from the bed. “What big hands you have.”

“All the better to work with, dear.”

Louis licked his chapped lips, taking careful steps towards the door. “Wh-what broad shoulders you have.”

“All the better to shield you with, love.”

Louis finally got to the door and placed a hand on the doorknob. “What big feet you have.”

“All the better to run with.”

Louis’ skin paled. His grandmother’s voice was a whole lot deeper that time. There was no way a simple cold could alter anyone’s voice to that extent.

“Grandmother, what a deep voice you have.”

The stranger in the bed didn’t say anything for a painfully long time. They just laid there, their breathing getting increasingly heavier, until they suddenly sprung upright in the bed. Louis didn’t take the time to see the face of the stranger, he just threw the door open and ran out of the bedroom. He heard the deep voice shouting after him, but he didn’t slow down or stop until he was out of the cabin. He stopped dead in his tracks on the porch when he saw a familiar face.

“Niall?”

Niall didn’t say anything. He just stood at the other end of the pathway, avoiding Louis’ eyes with an expression riddled with guilt.

“Ni, what are you…” Louis trailed off before he shook his head and swiftly approached Niall. “Doesn’t matter. We have to go. There’s a maniac-”

“I’m not allowed to let you leave.” Niall said weakly, still avoiding Louis’ eyes.

Louis scoffed. “This is not the appropriate time to play around.”

He attempted to move past Niall, but Niall stepped to the side and blocked his way.

“Move!” Louis demanded.

Niall bit his lip before he grabbed Louis by the shoulders, turned him around, and held him tightly in place. Louis squirmed violently in Niall’s arms, but he was much too strong.

“Niall, please!” Louis cried desperately.

“Please forgive me.” Niall begged, his voice wavering.

Before Louis could say anything else, another familiar face came out of the cabin.

“Liam.”

The name left Louis’ mouth without even a hint of question. In that moment, he knew he was standing before God.

“Where are you going, my sweet little lamb?” Liam smirked. “You just came.”

Louis looked back at Niall’s face to see tears welling up in his eyes. He looked back at Liam and fixed him with a harsh glare.

“What did you do to her?” He asked. His voice was hushed, giving away how hollow he felt on the inside.

Liam chuckled. “Your Grandmother was a very sweet lady.”

Louis’ eyes widened before he lunged forward, almost slipping out of Niall’s grasp. “Bastard! You bastard! What did you do? I’ll kill you!”

Liam just laughed as Louis continued his tirade, knowing that he could never make good on any of his threats. He didn’t have the strength nor the power to do so.

“Niall, hand him to me.” Liam ordered, his eyes glowing a bright orange. Niall reluctantly shoved Louis in Liam’s direction and turned away, not wanting to look at either of them.

Liam approached Louis with such  _careful_ steps that a dancer would probably be jealous of. He gripped Louis’ chin in his hand and examined every individual feature of his face. He hummed appreciatively before he let go of Louis.

“Not bad,” He muttered. “Your union is still a disgrace… but I get why he’s so gone for you.”

“What are you talking about?” Louis asked, feeling as if his soul left his body.

Liam placed his hand over Louis’ chest. “You feel this, little lamb? At this very moment, Harry’s heart is beating at the exact same rate. If he gets emotionally distressed right now, you'll be able to feel it. His internal agony will pierce your heart like a knife. He can feel your pain, too.”

Louis didn’t respond. At this point, he felt as if he was in a dream. He didn’t feel a part of his own body and his brain was foggy and incapable of thinking anything.

“Our kind has no name for this concept,” Liam continued. “But your kind does. Soulmates.” He removed his hand from Louis’ chest before circling around him like a vulture. “However, this bond that you two have is unnatural. I don’t know how it happened but it shouldn’t have happened.”

Louis couldn’t help but wince at that. “I… what are-”

“Do you know who I am, Louis?” Liam asked, once again right in front of him.

“God?” Louis answered.

Liam grinned. “Pack leader, to be more exact.”

His shock now halfway dissipated, Louis shook his head and turned around to face Niall. “Why the hell are you here? What does _any_ of this have to do with you?”

Niall didn’t answer, he didn’t have to. He just faced Louis with blue eyes that glowed just as harshly as Liam’s. Louis felt sick, utterly disgusted.

Liam wrapped his arms around Louis' waist and rested his chin on Louis’ shoulder. “A lifetime of servitude is a much stronger bond than whatever silly friendship you developed.”

“That’s not true!” Niall protested, his eyes wide and filled with desperation. Liam glared at him over Louis’ shoulder, effectively shutting him up.

“Why are you doing this?” Louis asked.

Liam scoffed. “You represent an act of defiance that I have _never_ seen from a member of my pack. As _his_ punishment, _you_ have to suffer.”

Before Louis could say anything else, he felt a sharp pain explode in the back of his head. His consciousness slowly draining away, he fell to the floor with a loud thud. The last thing he saw when he finally slipped into total darkness was Liam’s bare feet.

~

Louis jolted awake when he felt ice cold water being poured all over his body. His clothes were now sticking to him in all the wrong places, the freezing air was now downright unbearable, and he felt dull aches that buzzed in the back of his skull and his lower back. His entire body was freezing and he was soaking wet. His vision was slowly but surely coming back to him and the numbness in his limbs was dissipating. He licked his lips, which were dry to the point of bleeding, and took in his environment. Multiple eyes were staring at him with looks that varied from sympathy to complete disgust. Their faces were dimly lit by the bonfire that burned relentlessly next to Louis. He tried to move his hands and feet but he soon learned that they were bound.

“Oh, look! He’s coming back to us!”

Liam.

“Liam, please don’t do this.”

Niall.

“Don’t do this! I’ll take whatever punishment you want to give me. Your problem is with me, not him. He didn’t know anything. I swear!”

 _Harry_.

Louis was turned over on his back by a harsh kick in the stomach. He groaned in pain and looked up to see Liam standing over him, the fire giving his face an ominous glow as he stared down at Louis with a blank expression. Liam’s lips curved in a half smile as he placed his foot on Louis’ chest.

“Liam-”

“Silence, Styles!” Liam spat venomously, digging his heel in Louis’ sternum. “Everyone please direct your attention to the center of this circle! This is what happens when you disobey me!”

“He didn’t disobey you, I did!”

Liam laughed as he dug his heel harder into Louis’ sternum. Louis felt as if his ribs were slowly fracturing.

“You’re only making this worse for him,” Liam said. “I suggest you shut up.”

Louis turned his head to the side to see Harry, who was held down on his knees by two men and watching the scene before him with an expression of pure agony. Niall was standing right next to him, facing away from the scene. Harry looked into Louis’ eyes and bit his lip to keep back the tears that were threatening to spill. His chest was rising and falling at an alarming rate as he tried to keep himself together.

“I’m sorry,” Harry’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m so sorry, darling. Please forgive me.”

Even through the pain he felt, the only thing Louis wanted in that moment was to assure Harry that none of this was his fault, that everything would be fine. However, he couldn’t. Not just because Liam was staring down at him just waiting to be given a reason to lash out, but because Louis didn’t know if everything was going to be fine. Everything looked so bleak, so fucking _hopeless_ , that he just couldn’t find it in him to create such a promise.

“As all of you know,” Liam began. “Creating a romantic bond with humans is prohibited. You value your worthless _friendships_ with them so much, that I lifted the ban on interacting with them at all, but it seems to me that I shouldn’t have done that! It’s only a gateway to shit like this!”

Everyone in the circle started to protest, which only resulted in Liam clenching his teeth and digging his heel even harder into Louis’ sternum. Louis could’ve sworn that he heard something snap. As he looked around the circle, his vision now in its usual state, he could see some very familiar faces from the village. Some of the people in the circle were naked, not bothering to put on clothes since they just rip whenever they shift into their wolf form.

“Quiet!” Liam shouted, causing the protests to cease. “I don’t understand why you love them so much, I’ll never understand. If they knew who all of you truly are, they’d shoot you on sight!”

“Because they’re _scared_!” A woman in the crowd interjected. “It’s hard not to be fearful when you are killing people left and right!”

Liam stared at the woman with eyes that were devoid of any emotion. He took his foot of Louis’ chest and walked towards her with determined steps. He stopped in front of her, analyzing every microscopic thing about her, her body, her clothes, the deathly pale color of her skin due to the fear of her leader. He analyzed all of it before he lifted a hand. His nails grew longer and sharper than they originally were before they swiped the woman’s face, leaving five angry, red lines. She screamed as she cupped her cheek and crumpled to the ground. No one was even looking at her, let alone attempting to help her. They didn’t want to risk making eye contact with Liam and feeling his wrath.

Liam returned to the center of the circle and stood proudly over Louis’ body, staring at everyone in the crowd with a look that _dared_ them to try anything.

“Is that all?” He asked. “Is there anyone else who feels brave? Please come forward. It would make my entire evening.”

Liam didn’t say anything for a while, just letting the tense silence hang in the air so it could suffocate everyone into silence. Sweat broke out on everyone’s foreheads and somehow, Louis knew that it wasn’t caused by the fire. Liam placed his foot back on Louis’ chest.

“This bond,” He growled. “It must be severed. And as all of you know, there’s only one way to completely sever a bond.” He stretched his arm out to the side. “Caleb, the ax!”

A blond boy, who couldn’t be much older than sixteen, scurried to Liam’s side and handed him an ax. It looked as if it was freshly sharpened and the tip of the blade practically _glowed_ against the setting sun.

“I will never forgive you!” Harry shouted, thrashing around in the firm hold of the men who were holding him down. “If he dies, I’ll go with him.”

Liam scoffed. “Oh don’t be so dramatic. He’s a human. You’ll get over it.”

“I’m your best hunter,” Harry said. “Winter will be pretty fucking brutal without me.”

The ax hung from Liam’s fingers. It tauntingly swung back and forth over Louis’ head. He watched it, becoming slightly hypnotized by its movements. One swift swipe and his life could've been over in seconds.

“You’d give your life… for _him_?” Liam asked, looking more surprised than angry.

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed. “Of course I would.”

Liam shook his head. “That’s… that’s lunacy. He ran from you. The moment he found out what you are, he ran from you and didn’t look back! That’s what they do!”

“I wanted him to run,” Harry breathed. “I wanted him to get away from me, from you, from the danger that always chases us. And even if that wasn’t my intention, I still wouldn’t be angry. We aren’t normal, Liam. Not to humans.”

“I’ll lock you in a cage somewhere with zero sunlight and only let you out when I need you,” Liam spat. “Dying over the loss of a human who thinks you’re a monster. How pathetic.”

“I-I don’t think he’s a monster.” Louis muttered.

Without looking down at him, Liam lifted his foot and placed it firmly against Louis’ neck, effectively cutting off his air flow. Liam was looking down at the ground, his expression riddled with child-like confusion. He finally looked Louis in the eyes. His cold expression that he could do so effortlessly was now wavering. His armor was cracking right before Louis’ eyes. The underlying pain that Louis could see in Liam’s expression triggered a memory in his mind.

“Liam,” Louis choked out. “The talk we had at the park… the person you loved was a human?”

At that, Liam dug his foot harder into Louis’ neck, now choking the poor boy. “Watch it.” He growled. “Fucking _watch it_!”

“Th-This,” Louis gasped as he tried to get some air in his lungs. “This person hurt you to your very c-core and that’s why y-you don’t like humans!”

“Shut up!” Liam shouted. “He doesn’t matter anymore. He doesn’t have a damn thing to do with this!”

“You showed him what you are and he… he ran, didn’t he?”

Liam took his foot off Louis’ neck and gave his side a swift kick. “I said shut up!”

Louis’ body was shaking, practically convulsing, due to the constant pain and the violent tremors that wracked his body. He used his bound hands to push himself upright and looked up at Liam.

“He was scared.” Louis whispered. “I would bet every cent that I have that he loved you more than anything, but his fear became greater than his love. I ran because I was afraid, but…” Louis turned his head to Harry, who was watching Louis carefully. “but now that I have a good understanding of what’s going on, I’m no longer afraid.” He turned his attention back to Liam. “None of this is normal, it’s so outside the realm of sanity that you can’t even see it, so you can’t blame humans for not having the best response to it. A-and you can’t let your pain and insecurities get in the way of other people’s happiness, especially if you’re a leader!”

Liam flinched at that.

“You gave me such wonderful advice and you’re not even taking it,” Louis continued. “But it’s about damn time that you do. You need to let it go, work with what you have, and find something else that makes you happy, because _dammit_ the past is the past and you can’t change it!”

The only sound that could be heard in that circle was the crackling of the fire. Everyone was silent and completely still as Louis’ words hung thick in the air. Eventually, Liam snapped out of whatever trance he was in and used his foot to push Louis back on the ground. He raised the ax over his head with an almost manic look on his face.

“I’ve heard enough out of you.” He said.

Everything after that moment seemed to happen in slow motion. Liam halted his movement when his ears picked up a loud raucous in the distance. He held up his index finger, signaling for everyone to listen. Some people in the circle went ahead and shifted into their wolf form, ready to attack, while others remained rooted to the ground. The noise grew louder and louder until an angry mob of villagers, led by Zayn, stormed through the trees. All Louis could see was feet and abnormally large paws rushing past him. All he could hear was gunshots, screaming, and growling. He remained on the ground, his body feeling too numb to make any movement.

After a moment of watching a kaleidoscope of gory images such as wolves ripping people apart limb from limb, wolves getting shot down and convulsing in pools of blood, and people groaning in agony as they nurse their wounds, Louis felt himself getting lifted off the ground. He was now face to face with Zayn.

“Run!” Zayn ordered, pushing Louis into a random direction.

Disoriented, Louis started to run as fast as he could to God knows where, narrowly dodging every obstacle that got in his way. Just when he was about to leave the clearing, he stopped. Not too far away from him, Harry’s unconscious body was laying on the ground. Shane was standing above him with a rifle in his hands that was raised and poised to shoot. Without a thought or moment of hesitation, Louis ran towards them and tackled Shane to the ground.

“Don’t you dare!” Louis bellowed.

Shane looked up at him in shock. “What are you-”

Louis didn’t give a damn about what Shane was going to say. He crawled off of him and placed himself by Harry’s side.

“Love,” Louis whispered in Harry’s ear. “Please wake up.” He gave him a kiss on his forehead. “Please come back to me.”

Louis kissed Harry’s forehead, Harry’s cheeks, and Harry’s neck, hoping that the affection would somehow coax him awake. Shane watched the scene before him with a grimace on his face. Harry’s eyes slowly fluttered open as Louis nuzzled their foreheads together. As soon as his eyes met Louis’, he sat upright and wrapped his arms around Louis’ waist.

“Are you alright?” Harry asked, burying his face in Louis’ hair.

“I’m fine,” Louis answered, returning the embrace. “You?”

Harry shook his head and held Louis even tighter. “Doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me!” Louis laughed, running his fingers through Harry’s curls.

“Louis.”

Louis and Harry turned their attention to Shane, whose expression was panicked as he looked at the chaos that surrounded them. Louis snapped back into reality as the cracking of bones and blood curdling screams once again captured the attention of his eardrums.

“We need to go.” Shane said, pulling Louis’ sleeve.

“He’s right,” Harry said, not looking the most thrilled with agreeing with Shane on something. “You need to get somewhere safe.”

“When can I see you again?” Louis asked, gripping Harry’s hand.

To Louis’ devastation, Harry bit his lip and shook his head. Louis wasn’t a fool. He knew exactly what that gesture meant. There was a strong chance that this moment they were currently sharing would be their last.

Louis took off his soaked hooded cape and placed it on Harry's lap. “You’re gonna give this back to me, ok?”

Harry shook his head. “Louis, I can’t take-”

“Ok?” Louis reiterated, raising his voice a little.

Harry stared at Louis for a moment before he gave a slow, hesitant nod. “Ok, darling.”

With a lingering kiss to Harry’s lips and a whispered _I love you_ , Louis got up and bolted into the forest with Shane. The two of them only ran half a mile, the noise slowly fading behind them, before Shane grabbed Louis by the arm and pushed him up against a tree.

“Look,” He spat. “I don’t know what the hell that was, but it’s over. You’re insane if you think I’m gonna lose to that _thing_.”

Louis yanked his arm out of Shane’s grip and fixed him with a harsh glare. “And _you’re_ insane if you think you’re even half the man that he is. You’ve already lost, you spoiled bastard! My heart, my soul, my _virginity,_ ” Louis felt a sick sense of satisfaction when Shane frowned at that. “My respect, my love… it all belongs to him. Doesn’t matter if I’m your spouse until the day I die, he already has everything that truly matters. I sincerely hope you can live with that, sweetheart.”

Shane didn’t say a word as Louis slipped out of his place between him and the tree and walked away.

~

January turned into February, February turned into March, and the snow finally started to melt. Spring flowers started to bloom towards the now omnipresent sun and the blue sky only contained small splashes of cirrus clouds. Everything was warm on the outside, but the ice in Louis’ veins refused to melt. It couldn’t melt when the months without Harry passed by so painfully slow. It couldn’t melt when he was constantly reminded of the now empty Horan residence. It couldn't melt since his grandmother was gone and her body couldn't be found. It couldn’t melt when Shane continued to lust after him as if he didn’t know who Harry was.

Louis didn’t think the ice could harden any more than it already did, but he was wrong, so horribly wrong. He became as still as a statue on the day Shane showed up to the Tomlinson residence, a bouquet of roses in his right hand and a box containing a solid gold band in his left. His family danced around him and celebrated as if the second coming just took place, but Louis didn't respond, he simply couldn't.

Everything was warm, but Louis had never felt so cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter... calm your butts.


	6. Golden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe that this was originally supposed to be a 5k one shot? Enjoy and thank you so much for reading. :)

The seven months that followed Shane’s proposal were draining, both physically and mentally, for Louis. He had to stick by Shane’s side and act _oh so grateful_ for becoming a Buchannan, plaster on a fake smile whenever he had to meet his future in laws, who were the dictionary definitions of classism and greed, and try not to bash his head in during the obligatory meetings with the wedding planner.

“It will be the greatest wedding this village has ever seen!” The planner would always squeal. That statement never failed to make Shane radiate with joy and make Louis toss back another glass of complimentary wine.

Shane wanted the wedding to take place in the backyard of the Buchannan estate. He also wanted the date of the ceremony to be in November, right in the middle of autumn when the leaves were bright, bold red and orange and the sunlight painted the world a soft, golden hue. Not particularly giving a damn about anything that had to do with the ceremony, Louis wordlessly agreed with everything Shane wanted to do.

Louis’ compliance with acting like the perfect fiancé was only for public settings. He had no intention of bringing shame to the name of his family by acting out. When he and Shane were by themselves, Louis was an entirely different person. He bit Shane’s lip whenever he tried to get a kiss, he was _relentless_ with his snarky remarks and insults, he continued to dress in his old clothes instead of the custom made clothes that Shane would buy for him, and he never wore his engagement ring. Louis told Shane he was going to be the worst and he meant it.

On November 14th in the warm, gilded glow of the afternoon, it was finally time for Louis and Shane to commit themselves to each other. As Louis stared out the window of Shane’s bedroom, he could see the whole affluent side of the village pouring into the venue and taking their seats. The scene before him looked as if it was ripped straight out of a fantasy novel. Every single chair that the guests were sitting on were hand carved just for the ceremony. The orange cushions on every seat were also handmade. The chairs were facing a large arch made of sticks, faux leaves, and wire to hold everything together. Huge trees with solid red leaves were on either side of the arch. The aisle was covered with fresh picked sunflowers placed in a nice and neat pattern. Off to the side, there was a pianist and a well-dressed lady with a golden voice entertaining the crowd. Half the sun was under the horizon line and gave off a warm, gilded light. Everything looked so lovely and enchanting that Louis could feel his chest starting to ache.

He could see his sisters sitting in the front row. They looked like princesses in their bright colored gowns given to them by the Buchannan family. His mother was somewhere inside the mansion and Mark… was no longer in the picture. Louis turned away from the window and faced a full-length mirror that was placed by Shane’s wardrobe, and carefully observed his reflection. His dark gray suit was perfectly tailored to his body, his dress shoes were shiny and new, and the white button up underneath his jacket was clean and crisp. His hair was slicked back, his skin smelled of lavender, and the gold band was on his left ring finger. He never looked so elegant and dashing, and he would always look this way as soon as he said _I do_.

He chewed at his bottom lip and started to wring his hands. Butterflies were restlessly beating their wings against his stomach and his mouth felt dry. The reality of this entire situation crashed down on him like a ton of bricks. He was about to become _Louis Buchannan_. He covered his face with his hands and gave a deep, wavering sigh.

“ _My God_ , you look beautiful.”

Louis uncovered his face and looked at Shane through the mirror. He wore a black suit that looked similar to Louis’ and his hair was neatly parted down the middle. He was leaning against the doorframe and staring at Louis in complete awe.

“You can’t see me before the wedding,” Louis said, now looking down at his shoes. “It’s bad luck, you know.”

Louis heard Shane’s shoes clicking against the floor before he felt a pair of arms wrapping around him.

“Had to see my prize.” Shane whispered before placing a light kiss on Louis’ neck.

Louis shook his head with a defeated sigh. “I’ll never be yours. _Never_.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Shane scoffed. “Like I said before, I’ll break you down.”

With that, Shane gave Louis another kiss on his neck, turned around, and left the room. As soon as Louis was sure Shane was gone, he stomped over to the door and slammed it shut. He didn’t want to face the world until he had to, which wasn’t in too long. He rested his forehead against the door, closed his eyes, and imagined, just for a moment, that this was his and Harry’s wedding, that he was about to walk down the aisle and commit himself to the man he truly loved. He imagined them going back to Harry’s cottage straight after the ceremony, and making love until the pink haze of sunrise spilled into their room. He imagined them feeding May after taking her out for an afternoon ride, taking walks around Addy park, and having regular Sunday dinners with Louis’ family. However, none of that was realistic, none of that could happen because nothing ever worked out in the end, not for Louis. As Louis pulled away from the door to go back to the window, he heard a sharp knock.

“I’ll be out in a moment.” He said, once again wringing his hands. The knocking continued, much louder than last time.

Louis sighed. “I said I’ll be out in a moment.”

When the knocking became more insistent, Louis stomped back over to the door and wrenched it open. “Are you-”

The slew of insults remained on the tip of his tongue as he stared into a pair of eyes he never thought he’d see again. They were piercing, they were hypnotic, they were sparkling emeralds that managed to melt Louis’ insides until all he could feel was pure warmth. There stood Harry with his hands behind his back, wearing a fitted suit and a gambler hat. He looked at Louis with as much disbelief and adoration as Louis looked at him. Louis just stood there for a moment before a shaky sigh escaped him. He turned on his heels, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I will not be fooled,” He whispered. “I’ve had dreams like this before. You’d come back to me, I’d feel so happy that my chest would ache and then… I’d wake up. I’d wake up and realize that your home is empty, that you’re gone. I won’t fall for this again. I won’t.” he gritted his teeth. “Fuck my mind for being so cruel to me!”

The room became silent for so long that Louis was starting to think that this really was a dream, that he fell asleep on Shane’s bed and would wake up at any moment. He heard shoes clicking against the hard wood before he felt something being draped over his head and shoulders. He opened his eyes and was met by the reflection of Harry standing behind him. Louis’ hooded cape, all clean with its tear stitched up, was covering his entire back side.

Harry wrapped his arms around Louis’ waist and rested his chin on Louis’ shoulder. “You wanted me to give it back to you and I did, darling.”

Louis placed his hands over Harry’s and gave them a squeeze. He turned around in Harry’s arms and slightly tipped his head back. Harry gladly accepted Louis’ silent invitation and pressed their lips together. Louis smiled against Harry’s lips as they shared a slow, gentle kiss free from lust and fervor. When they finally pulled away from each other, Harry cupped Louis’ face and rubbed his thumbs against his cheekbones.

“Do you still think you’re dreaming?” He breathed.

Louis shook his head and pressed a chaste kiss against Harry’s jaw. “I would’ve woken up by now.” He rested his head against Harry’s chest and breathed in the sweet scent of his cologne. “I missed you so much. There isn’t a day that’s gone by where I didn’t think of you.”

“You were always on my mind, Lou.” Harry said, running his fingers through Louis’ hair.

The two of them just stood there and held each other, slowly drifting off in their own little bubble that could never be popped. The only thing that mattered to them was this moment, this reconnection of their hearts that never fell out of synch.

“Well, isn’t this a sight.”

Louis flinched and looked over Harry’s shoulder to see Jay standing in the doorway. She wore a blue chiffon dress and her hair hung in loose curls. Her eyes looked curious and her lips were set in a small, fond smile.

Louis frowned. “M-Mother, this isn’t-”

“I told her everything, Louis.” Harry interrupted.

Louis suddenly felt nauseous. He looked from Harry to his mother, trying to figure out a suitable explanation for whatever insanity Harry told her.

Jay laughed as she approached Louis. “Sweetheart, don’t have a heart attack. I would’ve called the authorities on him if I didn’t believe him.”

Harry stepped aside so Jay could stand before Louis. She placed her right on Louis’ shoulder and her left hand on Harry’s shoulder.

“Louis,” she breathed. “Do you want to know why I was so excited about Shane becoming your husband?”

Louis nodded his head with wide, curious eyes.

“I wanted you to be taken care of,” She answered. “The Buchannans, they’re… _God_ , they’re able to give you the kind of life that you deserve, the kind of life I could never provide, and I genuinely thought that Shane was a sweetheart, but what he said to you-”

“You heard him?” Louis asked.

Jay nodded. “Yes. Louis, the point is that I just wanted you to be happy, but if you walk down that aisle and commit yourself to that man, that’ll never happen.” She squeezed Harry and Louis’ shoulders. “But if you leave with Harry right this second, then I will have no doubts that you will be happy and taken care of.”

Louis frantically shook his head. “Mother, I can’t leave you and the girls. Not when Mark is no longer-”

“We’ll be fine,” Jay chuckled. “Just promise me that you’ll come back to visit.”

Louis remained silent for a while, searching his mother’s eyes for just a hint of uncertainty or regret. He found none. He looked at Harry to see that that he was already staring at Louis, his expression nervous yet encouraging. The look on his face practically screamed that he’d respect whatever decision Louis made, that he valued Louis’ happiness much more than he valued his own. That prompted Louis to give the answer that he gave.

“I’ll come back.”

~

Louis and Harry, followed by Jay, walked hand in hand out the back door of the Buchannan mansion. The first thing Louis noticed when they stepped out into the crisp autumn air, was his sisters waiting patiently by the door, their expressions nothing but joyful.

“Glad we’re finally in on the secret,” Felicite said.

Louis grinned as he let go of Harry’s hand to wrap his sisters in a tight group hug. “It’s mental, isn’t it?”

“Very!” Charlotte laughed as she and Felicite returned the hug. Louis pulled away with affectionate kisses on both of their foreheads. He looked over their heads and almost laughed at what he saw. In the distance, right at the entry of the forest, he could see Zayn, Niall, and the rest of the pack patiently waiting for him and Harry.

“Where’s Liam?” Louis asked, squeezing Harry’s hand.

“I sent him up North to find a suitable area for us to settle in,” Harry answered.

Louis raised an eyebrow at that. “You _sent_ him?”

Harry gave him a crooked smile. “Those are the type of things that leaders do.”

Louis’ jaw dropped. He was three seconds away from bombarding Harry with questions on how he managed to take the pack from Liam, when he heard a loud voice that rocked him to his core.

“Louis!”

He flinched and turned to meet Shane’s furious gaze. He was standing at the altar with his fists clenched and his body trembling with the anger he felt at seeing Louis and Harry’s hands clasped together. Now curious, the wedding guests looked over their shoulders and gasped at the sight of Louis holding hands with someone who wasn’t his fiancé. All was silent except for the wind rustling the leaves until Felicite spoke up.

“You might wanna run now.” She whispered.

As soon as those words left her mouth, Harry ran towards his pack, pulling Louis along with him. Louis couldn’t help but smirk when he heard Shane start to wax poetic with a slew of curse words. Everyone was finally seeing him for what he was, a crude bastard.

The pack started to run alongside Louis and Harry when they ran past them, laughing gleefully as the wind hit their faces and adrenaline pumped through their veins. As Louis ran, his hand holding Harry’s as if it was a lifeline, he felt a certain joy, a certain _freedom_ that he never felt before. He wasn’t just running away from a wedding he never wanted, he was running towards a future he never thought he could have.

Louis was running so fast that his hooded cape practically flew behind him, making him feel a sense of invincibility that made him start to laugh like a maniac.

“Is this everything you wanted, Red?” Harry asked, not sounding the slightest bit out of breath from all the activity.

Louis grinned, feeling as if they were running on the golden rays of the slowly setting sun. “Everything and more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~The End~


End file.
